Emerald
by ShilohPR
Summary: Princess Emerald of Arathilien is used to being pampered and humored, but when greater forces throw her into a very central role in the War, it's going to require a lot of growing up. NOT a 10thWalker fic LxOC eventually. Book 1of3; this one is COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

"What do you think it means?" 

Emerald looked over Hergest's shoulder in awe and said softly, "I don't know." She looked at her brother, then back to the pool of water on the ground before them. Stepping forward, she knelt down and looked closer. The silvery water shimmered on the otherwise dry wooden floor, the moon reflected on its surface. She gingerly reached a hand out and dipped her finger in. Pulling it up, she showed Hergest the thick gold liquid dripping slowly down her hand.

"I don't get it," Hergest muttered, kneeling down beside her. He looked in, then shook his head, "What _is_ this?"

Emerald's head cocked to one side as she looked at her brother's face through the reflection, and she suggested, "Do you really think it's a sign?"

"No. it's not a sign. That sort of thing doesn't exist."

"How do _you_ know?" Emerald demanded.

"Oh, come on, Emmy. Don't tell me you believe in all those myths. Father just told you those for entertainment," Hergest rolled his eyes.

Emerald jutted her bottom lip out, "He did not! They are real, even if you don't believe in them." As they continued debating whether or not the stories their father had shared with them were real or not, and whether adventure actually happened, or if wizards really existed, the door opened. Both looked up, afraid that it was someone come to see what they were up to, and destroy the mystery they were studying. But it was only Tegryn.

"What are you two doing?"

Hergest sighed, but Emerald motioned her other brother over and instructed, "Look at this! You'll never believe what we've found."

Tegryn walked over and knelt down beside them, while Hergest explained, "Emerald thinks it's a sign."

"Maybe she's right," Tegryn shrugged. "When did you guys find this?"

Emerald shrugged, "We walked in and it wasn't here, but when I turned around, it was. I almost slipped in it."

"Is the ceiling leaking?" Hergest suggested, looking up.

Emerald scooped another handfull up and showed it to the boys, "Does rainwater turn gold? Besides, it's not even raining!"

Tegryn, always excited by shiny things, stuck his hand in and tried to pull some water up, but he only complained, "Hey! It doesn't turn gold in my hand! What did you do to it, Emerald?"

"Nothing," she insisted, pouring it back into the puddle. It returned to its original clear color. "I just touch it."

"So do you think it's a sign?" Hergest asked Tegryn. Although he was older, he was more of a follower and usually let Tegryn do all the thinking for him (which wasn't exactly the wisest thing to do.)

Tegryn shrugged, "There's only one way to find out."

"How's that?" Emerald asked curiously, looking from her older brothers to the pool.

"Blood, of course."

"What do you mean 'blood'?" Hergest shuddered. Anything to do with gore made him queasy.

"Well it's really quite simple. Since Emerald is the only one it reacts to, she just has to spill some blood on it. If it's a sign, it'll react to it."

Hergest's eyes grew and he stammered, "What? Sp-spill b-blood?" Tegryn nodded. Hergest gulped. Emerald, however, was not bothered by blood and didn't think twice about reaching for her dagger. Her hand came back empty, though.

"Tegryn, I'll have to borrow yours."

"What?"

"I'll have to borrow your dagger. Mistress Menya took mine today."

Tegryn sighed, but pulled it out, "Fine. But wipe it off; I don't want your blood all over it." Emerald nodded and took the dagger from his outstretched hand. It wasn't _her_ fault Mistress Menya thought it inappropiate for her to practice marksmanship with it inside the throne room. Apparently it was disrespectful or something to aim for the heart of the statue of some old founder of the kingdom.

Emerald held her arm over the puddle and prepared to nick her wrist when Hergest cried out, "Stop! What are you doing? Do you want to kill yourself?"

"I'm not going to kill myself. It's just a little cut."

"Not there it isn't," Hergest argued. "Tegryn, tell her how to do it right."

Tegryn nodded, "Hergest is right. You don't ever cut your wrist. Just nick the palm of your hand." Emerald sighed, but changed the position of the dagger. Blade in place, she squinched her eyes shut and shoved it quickly across her skin. It didn't hurt all that bad, but sort of stung as a line of crimson red immediately appeared across her palm.

"Hold it over the puddle," Tegryn ordered when some dripped onto the floor. Emerald rolled her eyes at his bossiness, but did so. It took a second for enough to gather --since she hadn't gorged her hand or anything serious-- and then it slowly dripped off her hand, and was making for her arm until she flicked her hand and effectively spilled blood on the puddle.

Now, although Tegryn was very fond of his younger sister, he --along with all the brothers except Hergest-- got quite a kick out of playing off of her curiosity or impulsive streaks. In simple terms: they liked to play tricks on her. Emerald originally asked for it only by being the only girl, the baby of the family, and quite a bit younger, but as she grew she gave as good as she got.

So it was no surprise when Tegryn later admitted that there was no such way to tell if it was a sign by spilling blood on it. At least he didn't think so. But Tegryn, as well as Hergest and Emerald, was in for quite a shock when the blood hit the puddle. Immediately the entire puddle took on the thick gold appearance it got when Emerald touched it, except for her drops of blood with turned a glowing silvery color.

"What the..." Tegryn trailed off as all three leaned in, heads touching, to see what was going on. At first the pool just glittered, but then something began to happen underneath the taut surface. For several seconds it was a flurry of motion with no distinct images inside, but eventually Emerald and her two brothers began to see things.

"What's that?" Hergest asked, to which Emerald whispered, "It's...a leaf." She reached forward to see if she could touch it, but the gold liquid shimmered, and the picture changed. Next appeared some kind of statue that none of them recognized, then a skeleton hand, and last an emerald ring. Being that it was an emerald, she was specifically interested in it, and quickly leaned in closer. When the image didn't change, she reached a hand out to touch it; it looked so real. Her fingers dipped beneath the surface, and she felt the ring: it was actually there! In one fluid motion, she wrapped her fingers around the object and yanked it up. This had several effects, though. One was that the puddle turned an emerald green all over, then rapidly to a vibrant red, and then a face appeared that was more terrifying than anything Emerald, Hergest, or Tegryn had ever seen. It was dark and wrinkled, with beady yellow eyes, a sick, twisted grin, and jagged teeth. A gold chain ran from the nose to the mutilated ear. All three stared transfixed at the face, until it opened it's jaws in a roar of anger and seemed to shoot up at them.

The three all fell backwards, screaming. Tegryn was the first to stop, then Emerald calmed, but it took both shoving Hergest to get him to quiet down. The puddle was gone, and the candles on a nearby table blown out, leaving the room in a dark shadow. Tegryn hurried to relight the candles, then both boys rushed to sit closer to Emerald.

"What did you do?" Hergest demanded, arms crossed from embarrassment.

Emerald gasped for breath and insisted, "Nothing! I just pulled this ring out." She held the piece of jewelry up for them to see. At first glance there was nothing absolutely spectacular about it: a woven gold band housed a long, rounded emerald jewel. But something caught Emerald's eye, encouraging her to look closer.

How strange! When she looked closely into the jewel, she could make out movement, then some outlines, and finally a small moving picture of a forest with men or Elves of some kind walking through it. It didn't look like any place she'd ever seen before, and the people weren't familiar.

Handing it to Tegryn, she asked, "Can you tell what kind of people those are?"

"What people?" Tegryn held the ring up to his face until he was cross-eyed, but insisted, "I don't see any people. It just looks like a regular old ring to me." He handed it to Hergest, who had the same opinion.

Emerald took it back and argued, "No, can't you see in it? There's a forest with people walking around in it."

"You're just seeing things," Tegryn shook his head.

Hergest added, "We're all seeing things. That...whatever that was, it couldn't have been real, could it?"

"I don't know," Tegryn shrugged. Emerald kept silent, but she knew it had been real, and she knew what she saw in the ring. This was definitely a sign.

The door flew open once more and their father Orwig, followed by their mother Lilwen both rushed in.

"What's going on in here?" Orwig demanded, looking from one of his children to the next. The boys both looked extremely guilty, but little Emerald smiled sweetly and jumped up.

"Hello, Papa," she greeted, throwing her arms around his neck.

He looked at her suspiciously, "What have you three been doing in here?" Catching a glimpse of her bloody hand, he added, "And what happened to your hand?"

Tegryn and Hergest were terrible liars --a bad trait, since Tegryn got them into trouble enough-- but Emerald supplied, "Tegryn was telling my and Hergest a story and I was playing with his dagger because Mistress Menya took mine. Then he scared us and we screamed and the dagger slipped." Orwig gave her another look, but Emerald was too good a liar, and too cute to not believe, so he accepted her story.

Lilwen shooed Hergest and Tegryn to stand up and said, "It's rather late, my children. You had all better be off to bed." They reluctantly agreed, and Hergest followed Tegryn out of Emerald's room to their own. Lilwen and Orwig bid Emerald good-night, then left her alone.

She had already dressed for bed before Hergest had sought her out, accusing her of taking his sword (which had been true, unfortunately, and she had to give it back), so there was nothing left to procrastinate sleep.

Emerald looked closely at the ring --the vision inside had not changed-- before hurrying to her jewelry box. Inside, she pulled out a gold chain and slipped the heart pendent off, replacing it with the ring. After the chain was safely around her neck, hidden underneath her nightdress, Emerald hopped into bed, trying to calm the waves of questions and excitement in her mind. It wasn't every day, after all, that a little elfling got to witness a sign.

ULULULULULULULULULULULULULULULULULULU

Emerald went racing through the palace, a flurry of ribbons, curls, feet flying beneath her short skirt. Somewhere behind her, Tegryn was chasing after in a similar state of madness, laughing beneath mud caked onto his face and clothing, and somewhere behind _him_ was Hergest, demanding they slow down because they already got in trouble for running through the palace once that week and that was more than enough because he would get blamed too and it wasn't even his fault and why did he still hang out with them anyways?

"Because you love us!" Emerald yelled over his shoulder. Turning her head threw her balance off, though, and to keep from pitching forward she grabbed a pillar and swung herself around, also effectively changing her course. Within seconds she had reached the bedroom wing and hurtled not towards her room but to the smaller room beside it where her nurse resided.

"Svea! Svea, open up!" she began to yell as soon as she could see the room. Svea, knowing from experience exactly what was going on, flung the door open just in time as Emerald slid through and crashed onto the bed. "Close-it-close-it-close-it!" Svea shut the door gently and listened as Tegryn and Hergest pounded, begging her to let them in.

"You'll have to seek your revenge on her later, boys; this room is a sanctuary," Svea reminded them through the door. She heard the two growl with frustration, but they knew the rules set down long ago: they weren't allowed in Emerald's nurse's room. Their father had set this rule when Svea's old room was accidentally set on fire. Oops.

When the two young princes on the other side of the door had stomped off, no doubt to plot this coming revenge, Svea turned and sat gracefully down on the bed beside Emerald, asking, "Do I really want to know what that was all about?"

"Probably not," Emerald shook her head. "But I rocked."

"I have absolutely no doubt that you did," Svea laughed. She reached out and wiped at a smudge of mud on Emerald's brow. Emerald grabbed her hand and pulled her down onto the bed with her, both erupting in a fit of giggles as Svea's fingers attached Emerald's bare feet –lately, she had stubbornly refused to wear shoes and her father, ever the spoiler, dared anyone to challenge her. Emerald, however, knew Svea's weak spot, and quickly scratched her fingernails playfully on the back of Svea's neck. This was too much for the nurse and she stopped tickling. Both continued to giggle and gasped for breath.

To Emerald, Svea was more than just her nurse, there at all hours of the day since she was born, even when her mother, Lilwen, was occupied with kingdom affairs or concerned with the other members of the family. Svea's only focus was Emerald, which suited the girl just fine, and the close relationship they had was often more like older sister-younger sister than nurse-mistress. Though Svea still mothered and scolded and warned, she also whispered and hugged and did things like get into tickle fights.

"Svea? Can I ask you something?" Emerald ventured after a couple minutes of just laying there.

"Of course."

"How come you aren't married?"

Svea raised an eyebrow and inquired, "And why, dear girl, is your mind thinking of something like that out of the blue?"

"It's not out of the blue," Emerald insisted. "Tegryn said that I have to grow up and marry somebody to 'benefit the kingdom,' and that if I don't, Papa will exile me. He said that's all princesses are good for, marrying."

"And you believe him?"

"I don't _want_ to believe him, but what if he's right? I mean, I won't ever be queen. I'm not a warrior or a strategist or anything like that." She pushed herself up to a sitting position and shrugged, "Maybe Tegryn's right, that I'm just supposed to grow up and get married."

"Is that what you want to do?"

Emerald made a face, "No! I don't want to get married! Boys are dumb. No boy could ever keep up with me."

Svea found this highly amusing and laughed as she stroked Emerald's hair and assured her, "I'll tell you a secret: you don't have to get married if you don't want to, okay? Now, _I_ bet that when you grow up some dashing young man is going to swipe you off your feet and win your heart and you won't know what hit you."

"No, he won't know what hit him," Emerald insisted. "If he falls in love with me, there's probably something wrong with him." Svea laughed and shook her head. "But if I don't get married, what will I do?"

"Anything you want to do, dear girl. You can do whatever you want to do."

"No I can't. Girls can't be–"

"Hush," Svea snapped suddenly, her eyes suddenly angrier than Emerald had ever seen. Emerald's own eyes went wide; her nurse had never spoken to her like that before. Svea's face instantly softened and she quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, sweet thing. But I don't ever want to hear you say that. Ever, do you hear me?"

"But–"

"No 'but's." She leaned in closer and insisted, "Emerald, there is nothing you can't do –nothing. I don't care what anybody ever tells you otherwise; you prove them wrong. You hear me? That's what you do with your life, you prove them wrong."


	2. Chapter 2

"Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it seems."

Emerald looked around the circle at the people gathered. Elves, men, dwarves, a wizard, and even a hobbit. Everyone sat on decorative chairs, encircling a podium. Everyone wore a look of pure seriousness and worry, the mood as somber as could be. The hobbit carried forth a ring and placed it on the podium. Emerald listened as the people around her spoke: what they knew about the ring, what they thought should be done with it. p She approached the ring and picked it up in her hand, paying only half attention to the voices around her. What was the big deal? It was just a simple gold ring. A pretty one, yes, but nothing to set it apart from any other ring she'd ever seen. The female part of her encouraged her to try it on, so she slipped it onto her forefinger, where it was loose. Shaking her hand, the cold metal rattled against her small finger, and when she hung her fingers the ring slipped off, hit the podium, and bounced onto the ground. p Emerald looked around to see if anybody had noticed, but nobody seemed to pay any mind to her. p She recognized nobody in the circle save one. A man, a ranger as far as she could remember, who had wandered into her kingdom once, many years ago, when she was very small. She couldn't remember his name, nor anything about him, except that he was a good story-teller. Emerald always remembered good stories.

Another man, with lighter hair than the one she recognized, was speaking on something, and recited some poem or rather, though she didn't know why:

_"Seek for the Sword that was broken:  
in Imladris it dwells;  
There shall be counsels taken,  
Stronger than Morgul-spells.  
There shall be shown a token  
That Doom is near at hand,  
for Isildur's Bane shall waken,  
and the Halfling forth shall stand."_

It was a nice little poem, with all kinds of ominous meaning to it by the sound, so Emerald took special care to memorize it, reciting it to herself several times. No doubt Beven would find it lovely. p Emerald picked the gold ring up and set it back on the podium, no longer very interested in such a simple piece of jewelry. She looked at the faces of the people, and although she'd studied history and geography for a long time, she couldn't place anybody, nor even the place they were.

That's when she heard it. A faint chanting at first that steadily grew louder and louder in her ears, though nobody else seemed to notice it, until the words were so loud that Emerald couldn't help but clench her hands over her ears.

_Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

She closed her eyes along with her ears, trying to block out the incredibly loud noise, only to see a large eye. It glowed with an orange flame, never blinking, and rushed straight towards her, just like the scary face had done years before. It was coming straight towards her.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPPR

Emerald sat straight up in bed, gasping for breath. Out of habit, her hand grasped for the ring hung around her neck, and her eyes darted about the dark room for any disturbances. There was no one there.

She reached to the side table for the cup of water she always kept sitting there, ever since the nightmares had started, and took a large gulp. Her heart was all a flutter; beads of perspiration glistened on her forehead. She sat up for another second before falling backwards into her pillows, trying to calm her nerves.

Beven looked up as somebody entered the library. Seeing it was only his younger sister, his gaze returned to the scroll he was writing on.

"What can I do for you, Emmy?"

"I had another one," she replied simply, coming to sit across from him at the table.

"Again?" Beven asked with concern. As the biggest scholar in the family, Emerald always sought out his advice on strange dreams– nightmares, often. They had begun a couple years earlier, but only as a rare occurrence: visions of the same cruel face from the puddle, fragmented sentences, images of book covers or maps or such that Emerald couldn't identify. As of late, though, these dreams had become more frequent.

"Yes," she nodded. "It wasn't a new one, though, really. I was at that strange meeting again, and that ring was set on the table, and I put it on again. It was still too big, though, and fell off."

"Did they say the poem again?" Beven questioned. "Or do you remember anyone you saw there?" He pushed the scroll to the side and scooted his chair closer.

Emerald nodded, "Yes, but...I still can't remember it."

"Any of it?"

Emerald squeezed her eyes shut, trying hard to recall the words, but only came up with, "Stronger than Morgul-spells, and That Doom is near at hand. Those are the only two lines I can remember. And that man was there again, that ranger that came through here a long time ago."

"There have been lots of rangers here, Emmy."

"I know, but this one was a good story-teller."

Beven laughed and shook his head, "That would be what you remembered." Emerald allowed a smile, too, though she was still thinking about the dream. She'd had this one more than any of the others, and still was no closer to figuring it out than when it'd first occurred.

"Have you figured anything out about the other two?" Emerald suggested. Beven retrieved the papers he kept hidden in his desk on which he and Emerald were keeping a record, but shook his head.

"Nothing. No matter how hard I look, I can't find anything on an elf-stone, anybody named Dernhelm, and nothing about kingsfoil except what we already know," Beven answered. He spread the papers out for them to look at.

Emerald sighed, "All this...it doesn't fit together."

"Unless you're seeing the future."

Emerald laughed at this, "Yes, I'm a true prophet. I can't even remember what I see."

"Maybe you're not meant to," Beven suggested.

"Come now, Beven. You don't believe in all this foretelling and vision stuff. You're the sensible one in the family."

"Not as much as Hergest," he pointed out. "I believe in what I see and I learn from books, but that doesn't mean I can't learn new things."

Emerald gazed over the map of Middle-Earth that Beven kept with the papers, just in case Emerald happened to remember the name of a place, or even a landmarker. Thus far, she had not.

"Well, there's nothing more I can remember now," she groaned with disappointment. "If only."

Beven patted her arm reassuringly, then wrapped her in a side hug, "You'll remember eventually, Baby." Emerald smiled at the nickname her oldest brothers continued to call her, though she wasn't a baby any longer. Still young, but not a baby. "If it's important enough, you'll remember."

"I hope you're right."

"I am. I'm always right. I'm the smart one, remember?" he joked. Giving her a slight shove, he ordered, "Okay, go now. Go bug someone else, I've got work to do."

Emerald kissed him on the cheek, then did as he'd commanded.

ILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILI

"Is this it, Papa?"

King Orwig nodded, "Yes, precious one. This is Orthanc."

Emerald looked around in awe. The grand forest they'd passed through seemed to dance and sway while turning its ancient eyes on them. The pathway through it had been long and dark --the South Road, Auryn said it was called. Now the way cleared out into a garden wrapped around an intimidating dark tower. Emerald looked up but couldn't see the top stretching so far above. It was very tall.

"Come," King Orwig instructed, dismounting and taking his daughter's arm once she had done the same. The two guards with them, Pherannon and Alagedh, followed closely behind. They slowly climbed up the looming staircase before them and stopped at the thick iron doors. Emerald reached out and ran her fingers along the cool metal fashioned in sharp angles, giving it a haunting, threatening appearance. She wondered why her father, so adamant that she stay securely in the confines of their kingdom, would bring her here of all places. Even though she knew Saruman was a very talented wizard and a good friend of her father among many others, the place still seemed to reek of gloom and sorrow.

The doors creaked and she jumped back to stand behind her father and Alagedh as they swung open. On the other side stood a tall, thin man with a long white beard and silvery-white robes. King Orwig grinned to see the wizard and shook his hand, extolling how good it was to see him and that it had been far too long, while Emerald remained half-covered by Alagedh, carefully studying this stranger. The tower in which he lived seemed to be an extension of himself –Emerald found the bent nose, thick eyebrows, and dark, penetrating eyes unsettling, even on a friend of her father's. He seemed to feel her watching him, because he eyes jerked directly from greeting King Orwig to staring at her.

"Ah. This must be the Princess Emerald of whom I've heard so much," he grinned, approaching with an outstretched hand. Alagedh stepped aside, forcing her into the open. So she did what her genteel upbringing had taught her, holding out her hand for Saruman to take as he bowed to her, returning the curtsey, and returning a faint, "Lord Saruman."

"My, she's much more soft-spoken then you alluded to." King Orwig laughed, and both Pherannon and Alagedh shifted, trying not to do the same, which would be out of their place.

"Oh, she's just too over-run with curiosity to be her bold self," her father explained. "It's her first time away from home."

Saruman nodded his understanding, then commented more to Emerald than Orwig, "Well, imagine keeping a jewel like this hidden from the rest of the world. It is a crime, Orwig!" The king laughed but Emerald narrowed her eyes; she didn't like the way he looked at her, nor the way he laughed. "Well, no matter, come inside. We have matters to discuss, Orwig, and the Princess can have a rest." Alagedh nudged her gently in the back when she hesitated.

As soon as they had crossed the threshold, King Orwig directed his attention to Saruman, trusting Emerald to follow and look after herself. However, the last thing she wanted to do was sit in a room with her father and that wizard and listen to them go on about whatever was so important her father had felt the need to make this trip. So after they had ascended several thousand more steps (Emerald had to wonder why such an old man would live in a place with so many steps), Emerald broke off from the rest of the group, slipping away unnoticed by all except Alagedh.

There was a doorway to her left, and she silently approached this, running her hands along the wall to help guide her along in the minimal candle light. Surely a wizard could better illuminate his home. She stepped inside and stopped short to just look around from her spot. The room itself wasn't anything spectacular; large, dusty windows cast a dull glow over what Emerald guessed to be just as many papers as were in the library at home, except crammed into a quarter of the space. Every flat space had stacks of looseleaf, manuscripts, books, maps. Various trinkets were strewn about the room –nothing really of interest; nothing that Emerald could assign any importance to. She walked to one of the windows and wiped her hand along it, removing enough of the dust to let her see outside. It was a beautiful view from so high up, the miles and miles and miles of land she could see. You were sitting on top of the world from up here.

However, she was more curious about the papers than the view, so she turned her attention to digging through what was on the table. Unfortunately for her curiosity, there didn't seem to be anything of intrigue. Histories, mainly –histories of all the surrounding lands, abandoned cities, current cities, etc. She found a pretty thick pile on Eregion and the Elves that had lived there, but she didn't feel like wasting her time reading a history that was probably sitting at home in her very own library. So she kept looking, but the only things she found besides the histories were maps, and these were slightly boring and pretty meaningless to her. She perused the one of Mordor for a couple minutes, interested to know why Saruman would have a map of that laying on the top of the other papers, showing he had probably been looking at it recently. Sauron had been defeated though, hadn't he? And his domain turned into a ghostly shadowland? The only reason she could think of to have a map of a region would be if you were at war with that region, but they weren't anymore. So why were there recent ink marks on it? She set the map down and was in the process of picking up another series of papers when a voice behind her demanded–

"What are you doing?" She jumped and spun around, then rolled her eyes.

"Alagedh, you scared me."

"I wouldn't have scared you if you weren't up to something," he pointed out, crossing his arms.

"I'm not 'up to something,'" she mocked. Emerald picked some of the papers up and explained, "I was just-"

"Snooping."

"I'm not snooping. I was just... indulging my curiosity."

"Well come away from there before Saruman catches you. You probably shouldn't be in here."

Emerald sighed but set everything down and turned to follow. She had almost reached Alagedh in the doorway when another doorway caught her eye; she hadn't noticed it before. She quickly redirected herself towards this new door.

"Lady..."

"What"

"We should go join your father and Pherannon," he reminded, hurrying to head her off.

"I know, just let me look in here real quick."

"My Lady..."

"If you're so worried, you stand watch. Stay right here and tell me if you hear anyone coming. It'll just be a minute"

"Fine," Alagedh sighed. He couldn't argue with Emerald; very few could. He turned and leaned against the wall as she rushed through the doorway.

This new room completely matched the creepiness of the rest of the place. The walls seemed to stretch on forever and she could hardly see the ceiling so high above her. The smooth stone floor shone under the light sneaking in through the open doorway. And there, in the middle of the room, stood a stone platform with a grey cloth draped over it. This was the only thing in the whole room and was just asking to be explored. Emerald looked around, but except for Alagedh's shoulder in the doorway, there wasn't anyone around. Perfect.

She slowly approached the platform and reached a tentative hand out to the cloth. When nothing happened under her touch, she gently lifted the cloth off and gazed wide-eyed at the object beneath. Though strange, it wasn't anything spectacular: a round black ball, as smooth as it was shiny. Her clear reflection in the surface looked back at her and grew larger as she leaned in. Though at first she thought the sphere was opaque, she realized upon closer inspection that it was actually mildly translucent –at least around the edges she could see faint traces of light shining through. Emerald still leaned closer and closer until her nose was only a few inches away, and that's when she saw it, a faint glowing in the center that began to expand, reaching outwards with fiery fingers.

A sudden grip on her arm made Emerald jump back and look around wildly. Saruman tightened his grip and pulled her back another step, grinning knowingly at her the whole time.

"My, you're a curious child, aren't you?" Emerald was too surprised to glare and just nodded. "And this, this is an interesting object, is it not?"

"Wh... what is it"

"This, my child, is a palantir, a seeing stone. There are only a few in existence."

"Where are the others"

"Many are unaccounted for," he replied vaguely. There was silence for a moment as he watched her regarding the palantir carefully, then he continued, "It gives the owner power to communicate with whatever is around the others." She reached her hand out and ran her fingers around the ball. "Does power intrigue you?"

Emerald's hand jerked back and her head snapped towards Saruman as she corrected, "I'm curious, not power-hungry."

"Of course. As a princess, you already have all the power you could desire?" he posed, more a question than the statement.

"Yes"

"Of course." He smiled at her again and whatever lurked beneath that cool demeanor made Emerald shift uncomfortably. However, the intrusively leading tone he had used for the previous questions disappeared and was replaced by what she viewed as far too forced an attempt at casualness. "You should be careful, Princess. That curiosity of yours could get you into trouble."

"Like I don't hear that fifty times a day," she rolled her eyes.

Saruman chuckled and suggested, "You should come sit with your father and I, before you get yourself into trouble." Before Emerald could consider that what he said sounded an awful lot like a threat, Saruman was gone and the palantir was covered again. Emerald made a face, then hurried back to the doorway where Alagedh was still standing.

"Ready to return?"

"Why didn't you tell me Saruman was coming?" she demanded.

Alagedh shook his head, "What?"

"Saruman. I just talked to him. Why didn't you tell me he was coming in?"

"Lady Emerald, nobody has gone through this door since I've been standing here." She looked at him closely but Alagedh was not one to lie to her. He shrugged and offered, "If you're sure it was him... I don't know how he got in there, but he _is_ a wizard."

Emerald nodded, "Yeah, I guess. Let's go, then. This place makes me nervous." Alagedh could only agree.


	3. Chapter 3

It was late in the night before Emerald was free to leave the party, in truth the last person gone except for the people granted title of clean-up crew. It had been a party to remember, with dancing and feasting and story-telling and all manner of celebration used by the Elves. The yearly party celebrating the anointment of Orwig as king was always a giant party for the residents of the kingdom, and this had definitely been one to remember. 

Needless to say, Emerald was exhausted unlike she had been for a long time. By the time she got to her room, she stumbled out onto the balcony and collapsed on her loyal chair, too exhausted to even change for bed. The weather had held true for the party, which everyone was grateful for, Emerald probably more than anyone else. She loved parties so much. All the laughter and friendship and music. Even serious Auryn had taken time out to dance with her, swinging her around in the air as they stepped around the room.

Yes, it'd been a lovely day. So lovely, in fact, that Emerald had completely forgotten about the dreams and all connected with them for an entire day, longer than she had been able to for quite some time. The dreams had become even more frequent, the mystery signs even more pronounced. If they occurred any more often she would surely be tied to her bed and locked away like they did with Svea, an event Emerald remembered quite well from her childhood.

Emerald looked up and admired the stars. They seemed to be shining especially bright, and the moon was full, only adding to the excitement. The air was silent except for a couple stragglers laughing in the night as they headed home, the song of crickets as they continued at their own parties, and the whispering of the trees, and the distant murmuring of the ocean. It was about as peaceful a night as anyone could have hoped for.

Emerald's hand absently drifted to her neck as was prone to happen when she was idle. Her heart gave a leap when her fingers didn't find the familiar chain, but she laughed at her own foolishness when she recalled taking it off before the party. It had been the longest she'd ever gone without it, but her mother had insisted she wear the new necklace she received from her father as a present, nor could the chain be hidden beneath her shoulder-less gown.

Pushing herself up, she skipped over to her jewelry box, adrenaline still pumping after such a great day. Opening the top, she was relieved so see the ring and chain exactly as she had left them, nestled in the emerald padding and hidden underneath other jewelry. She shoved these aside and pulled up the ring, then carried it back to the balcony.

She lifted the ring up and used the moonlight to see into the green jewel, like she'd done so many times over the years. At first the view was black, and Emerald couldn't make anything out, but this soon changed. Emerald gasped and looked closer, trying to catch every detail of what she was seeing. It was the same green forest that she'd watched so often before, but it was nowhere near as peaceful. Instead, she watched in horror as orcs and Elves clashed together in battle. The view was small, so she couldn't make out fine details, but it was quite obvious what was going on. Wherever this forest was, it was under attack!

Emerald recognized a couple of the elves when they were closer to wherever the ring watched from: the two warriors, and the scholar who sometimes hid in the forest to study. Though she hated watching the battle, she did --only to reassure herself that the three Elves she'd watched before would make it out okay. It was an incredibly suspenseful couples minutes as total chaos ensued, and she couldn't really make out which three were "her" Elves anymore. One of "her" warriors stepped in view again, an orc right behind him, and Emerald didn't even think about yelling out, "Behind you!"

Unfortunately, the ring chose that moment to black out, leaving Emerald clueless as to whether he was killed or safe. Instead it switched to another view, one of the cities of Men she sometimes saw. A similar battle was taking place there, men fighting against an army of orcs. She was allowed to watch this one only for a couple seconds before it blacked out, as well, and the ring turned opaque once more.

Even though she realized the seriousness of what she saw, Emerald still had a hard time grasping it as actually happening. After all, she hadn't figured out whether she saw the past, the present, or the future in the ring, or if it was even a real image at all. Bowing her head and whispering a prayer should it be real, Emerald lay back and looked at the sky again, her adrenaline rush quite gone now.

Quite a bit sobered, Emerald tried hard to remember the wonderful day and lift up her spirits once more, which succeeded mainly in making her sleepy. Without even the strength to move to the bed, Emerald's eyes drifted closed and she fell into a restless slumber.

Though Emerald was an intelligent young elf, trained hard in history and literature and all other things appropriate for a princess to learn, she was still a young elf, and, at the time, the full picture of what she'd seen did not present itself to her. And while the questions and memories of what she'd seen and heard remained at the back of her mind, Emerald did not see any more signs or dreams, nor anything in the ring, for several months after.

ULULULULUULULULULULULUULULULULULULULULULULULULU

Emerald was bored beyond all reckoning. Another rainy day had seized the kingdom, the fourth in a row, and the day was ruled by rolling thunder and stabs of lightening. Emerald tried to convince Tegryn and Hergest to play with her out in the storm, but Hergest, as always, was completely against it, and Tegryn said he had better things to do than "play baby games."

Emerald had to admit, standing in a doorway and looking out at the land, that it was nearly impossible to even see through the torrential rain, so it was pretty pointless to find any of the maids and ask them to play with her. They usually did, if only to humour her. With nothing else to do, Emerald wandered into the kitchens, where Falnor was relaxing at the table, sipping a cup of tea and looking out the window.

"Hello, Falnor," she greeted, plopping down in a chair beside him.

Falnor looked at her suspiciously but had the courtesy to reply, "Hello, Princess Emerald. What has given me the pleasure of a visit from you?"

"I'm bored."

"You're always bored."

"Not always," Emerald argued. "Just right now."

"What about your studies?"

"I've studied enough today."

"Reading? Writing?"

"I'm not in the mood for it."

"Singing?"

"That, either."

"Have you done your daily brother-pestering?"

"I do _not_ pester," she cried defensively. At his doubtful look, she sighed, "Already done. Auryn, Beven, and Papa are meeting with people to talk about bands of orcs or something. Gildas is trying to teach Hergest how to fight, which is painful to watch. And when I asked Tegryn to play with me he called me a baby, which was incredibly rude."

Falnor gave Emerald a sympathetic smile, then asked, "He's getting more like that, isn't he?"

"Yes! When I was little he always played with me, but now he doesn't like to anymore."

"It's because he's growing up," Falnor explained, then added at her look, "You are too, Princess. You're not a little girl anymore."

"But I'm not an adult, either. Half the people are telling me I'm not old enough, and the others say I'm too old!"

Falnor laughed at this, "It's just your personality and the age you're at right now. You're old enough to be considered an adult, really, but you're just so sweet and cheerful most the time that it's hard for people to take you seriously."

"Cheers to that," she pouted.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing though," Falnor assured her. "You're a smart girl, Lady Emerald. I and anyone who listens to you knows that. But you've also got that optimism and heart that people need to be around, particularly with the attacks we've begun getting."

Emerald shrugged, "It's not that I don't understand how bad it is that we're seeing orcs again. I mean, even though I haven't ever seen one, I understand that they can hurt people and all that." She fiddled with her thumb, "I just don't understand why Papa and Auryn, Beven, and Gildas get so upset and stressed out about it. What happens, happens, but you can't get all sad about it. If all you're looking for are bad things, that's all you're going to find."

"If only everyone realized that," Falnor agreed. "But we still need to find a way to get rid of the orcs, and you know that. We need to get them gone."

"I know. Anyways, I decided to come spend some time with you, my favorite cook in the whole of Arda."

Falnor mumbled something along the lines of, "Only because I feed you." Then, shooting her a cheerful grin, he suggested, "Well how about we make some cakes? No doubt King Orwig and your brothers will be hungry when their meeting is over." Emerald didn't really care about them, but decided to help, anyway, since it gave her something to do.

The main kitchen was huge, but Falnor's kitchen, the one they were in now, was much smaller, for him to use when meals were only for the family. Emerald had visited him enough times to know where everything was, and in a matter of minutes they had all the supplies necessary.

Emerald was very fond of Falnor, as the long friendship with him showed, and they worked wonderfully together, talking and laughing as they went. Falnor's cooking was exquisite, and Emerald always felt extremely proud when she could say she had helped.

They worked for a good deal of the morning before the cakes were finished and Falnor chased Emerald out of the kitchen, bearing them to her father and brothers in the meeting. Though they usually didn't allow her in there, she lingered on the outskirts long enough after she'd handed them over to hear the gist of things.

There had been three attacks by orcs, now, against the kingdom, with threat of a bigger battle still immanent. Listening to them talk reminded Emerald of that night when she'd watched the battles in the ring, but she knew they weren't at her home. She would have recognized it.

The rain was still going strong as she wandered around some more, still with nothing to do. She saw Tegryn talking to Merna, that hoity-toity elf girl, and Hergest running from Gildas, insisting he didn't want to learn to fight anymore. Emerald laughed, then shook her head. Even_ she_ knew how to fight, albeit not wonderfully. She'd never fought against a real enemy, but she could at least sword dance (a rich performing art that several cities, including her own, treasured.)

Emerald's wanderings took her into a courtyard which was half-covered by a decorative top, providing shelter from the downpour. There was nobody out at this time, though she couldn't understand why. It was absolutely beautiful, both in sight and sound, and the rain provided a cool breeze that washed over her and calmed her discomfort after listening to all the talk about attacks.

Taking a seat on one of the lounging chairs, Emerald suddenly seemed to realize how exhausted she was. She hadn't been earlier, but she now found her eyes would hardly stay open. Seeing no reason to fight it, she relaxed and drifted off...

DBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBD

"Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it seems."

Emerald looked around the circle at the people gathered. Elves, men, dwarves, a wizard, and even a hobbit. Everyone sat on decorative chairs, encircling a podium. Everyone wore a look of pure seriousness and worry, the mood as somber as could be. The hobbit carried forth a ring and placed it on the podium. Emerald listened as the people around her spoke: what they knew about the ring, what they thought should be done with it.

She approached the ring and picked it up in her hand, paying only half attention to the voices around her. What was the big deal? It was just a simple gold ring. A pretty one, yes, but nothing to set it apart from any other ring she'd ever seen before. The female part of her encouraged her to try it on, so she slipped it onto her forefinger, where it was loose. Shaking her hand, the cold metal rattled against her small finger, and when she hung her fingers the ring slipped off, hit the podium, and bounced onto the ground.

Emerald looked around to see if anybody had noticed, but nobody seemed to pay any mind to her. She recognized nobody in the circle save one. A man, a ranger as far as she could remember, who had wandered into her kingdom once, many years ago, when she was very small. She couldn't remember his name, nor anything about him, except that he was a good story-teller. Emerald always remembered good stories.

Another man, with lighter hair than the one she recognized, was speaking on something, and recited some poem or rather, though she didn't know why:

_"Seek for the Sword that was broken:  
in Imladris it dwells;  
There shall be counsels taken,  
Stronger than Morgul-spells.  
There shall be shown a token  
That Doom is near at hand,  
for Isildur's Bane shall waken,  
and the Halfling forth shall stand."_

It was a nice little poem, with all kinds of ominous meaning to it by the sound, so Emerald took special care to memorize it, reciting it to herself several times. No doubt Beven would find it lovely.

She looked at the faces of the people, and although she'd studied history and geography for a long time, she couldn't place anybody, nor even the place they were.

That's when she heard it. A faint chanting at first, that steadily grew louder and louder in her ears, though nobody else seemed to notice it, until the words were so loud that Emerald couldn't help but clench her hands over her ears.

_Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

She closed her eyes along with her ears to block out the loud voice, but then a new urge came over her, once she'd never felt before. She grabbed the ring off the ground and slipped it back on her finger. It fit. It was no longer loose like it had been, but stayed on her finger, no matter how hard she shook her hand. As soon as the ring slipped on, the voice stopped chanting.

For the first time ever, conversation in the council stopped completely, and everyone turned to look at her. It was like a veil lifted, and for the first time Emerald truly felt like what was happening was real. She was in the spotlight, but no matter what she tried to say, no words came out, and everyone just continued to stare at her. She stomped her foot in frustration, but still could not say anything.

Turning around to the Elf sitting on the biggest chair, an Elf she now recognized as Elrond or Rivendell, though she never had before, she screwed her face up in an absolute frown and mouthed, "What is going on?"

A man, sitting beside the one who recited the poem, stood and shouted, "Speak naught of what you know naught about!" She looked at him, then back at Elrond helplessly. Elrond stood slowly from his chair and walked toward her, then picked her hand up and held it level with her face, the one that had the gold ring on it.

Leaning down, he whispered into her ear,

_"You may know of coming doom  
But be brave, little one  
For as sure as roses bloom,  
The battle's just begun. _

A hobbit comes to save the earth.  
Three more to save their friend.  
An Elven peasant of noble birth.  
Son of Gloin the Dwarves will send.  
One comes from a white city far away.  
And the heir of a king unknown to all.  
The wizard who for now is grey.  
Nine who will fight for Sauron's fall.

Yet one more goes, not glory seeking,  
An elfling girl, for Valars' keeping."

Elrond then lay a cold, heavy hand over Emerald's eyes...


	4. Chapter 4

Emerald's eyes slowly opened, and it took her a second to remember where she was: in the courtyard of her father's palace, the rain still falling heavily a few feet away, its mist wrapping around her feet and the hem of her dress. At first she didn't move, not completely oriented from her dream, but then she came to a startling realization. She'd been having these dreams for many years now, yet that poem recited at the meeting had always eluded her. But not this time. 

In a burst of energy, Emerald jumped up and dashed back into the palace interior, then down the halls and across the bridgeway until reaching the room in which her father and brothers were meeting. Ignoring the soldier stationed outside in order to prevent disruption, she threw the door open and leapt inside. Immediately everyone froze and looked at her, but she ignored this and ran to Beven.

"Emmy, what--"

"I remember. Beven, I remember the poem!" she cried, breathing hard.

Beven's eyes grew and he asked, "The poem...from your dream?"

"Yes!" Emerald nodded, smiling with excitement. Beven's face mimicked hers and he jumped up.

"Father, may I be excused?" he asked, something that was incredibly spontaneous and completely unlike him.

King Orwig gave both his children odd looks and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

"We can't explain right now, but we will," Beven promised. King Orwig nodded, so Beven grabbed Emerald's hand and dragged her out of the room. He was behaving much more irrationally than he had in years as they both ran to the library and then to Beven's desk.

For a couple minutes they just sat there, out of breath. Then it was like they were two totally different people from moments before. Beven calmly retrieved the papers from the desk, got a pen and inkwell, while Emerald wiped the hair out of her face and massaged her shoulder that she must have slept wrong on.

When Beven was ready, he instructed, "Tell me everything."

"Well, it was the meeting dream, and it was the same it always is. Except this time, when that voice started chanting at the end, I put the ring on again, and it fit this time."

"And the poem?"

"Right." She recited it, word for word to him:

_"Seek for the Sword that was broken:  
in Imladris it dwells;  
There shall be counsels taken,  
Stronger than Morgul-spells.  
There shall be shown a token  
That Doom is near at hand,  
for Isildur's Bane shall waken,  
and the Halfling forth shall stand."_

Beven wrote rapidly to get it all down, then reread it and asked, "Okay, I can figure out some of it. The sword that was broken is Ilsidur's father's sword, in the Last Alliance battle. Imladris is another name for Rivendell. The token...that would be the ring you see, I guess."

"You don't think...do you remember the Ring of Power? You know, the whole story surrounding it?" Beven nodded. "You don't think...Isuldur's Bane: could it be the Ring of Power?"

Beven was silent for a moment, as if he was thinking very hard, then commented, "Emerald, do you realize what this could mean if it _is_ the Ring of Power?" Emerald nodded, but Beven continued, "Emerald, if this is it, then you're seeing something that hasn't happened yet. This...this meeting hasn't taken place yet, but it obviously will take place if there's a threat. Or at least it needs to."

"So...if I'm seeing it before it takes place...then I'm suppose to make it take place?"

"Or it will without your help, but--"

"There was something else," she interrupted.

Beven quit talking and prodded, "Yes?"

"Before, I was ignored. It was like I was invisible. But when I put the ring on, everyone stopped talking and looked at me. I tried to say something, but nothing would come out. Some man stood up and said, 'Speak naught of about what you know naught about.' Then the leader of the meeting-"

"Who was the leader?"

Emerald thought for a moment, then answered, "Elrond. It was Lord Elrond of Rivendell."

"So this takes place in Rivendell, for sure."

"He whispered something to me."

"What did he say?"

"It was another poem." Beven nodded and waited for her to continue, so she did, "I don't remember all of it, though. Just the first verse:

_You may know of coming doom  
But Be brave, little one  
For as sure as flowers bloom,  
The battle's just begun."_

"That doesn't really tell us a lot," Beven commented. "Except what we've already sort of inferred. Something terrible is happening."

"So what do we do about it?"

Beven finished writing it down, then set the pen down and clasped his hands together. He sighed and rested his forehead on them, then looked sideways at his baby sister.

"I wonder that you're the one all wrapped up in this."

Emerald shrugged, but copied his action by resting her chin in her hand, "I'm not necessarily tied up in it all. I just know that this is going to happen. Maybe..." She stopped for a moment. "When I was a little girl, I would have said that maybe someone was trying to tell someone, and I was the only one that would listen."

"And now?"

Emerald smiled sardonically, "You aren't going to tell me I'm still a little girl?"

"Right now, I'm hoping you're more adult than I am," he laughed. "Or at least braver. Emmy...Emmy, I don't think you realize how big this is. _I_ don't realize how big this is!"

"Okay, so it's big. What do we do about it?"

Beven sighed again and looked at her, "I...I guess we need to get you to Rivendell."

"Why?"

"Well, we need to tell someone!"

"Yeah, but do you really think Papa is just going to let me leave? He's never let me leave this kingdom, he sure isn't now if we tell him that Sauron is threatening Middle Earth."

"Unless he already knows."

"He doesn't know," Emerald argued. "No, if he hasn't said anything about it to you, then he doesn't know. If this meeting hasn't taken place yet, then probably very few people know."

Beven nodded, "Yes, but we need to get you there. You recognized Lord Elrond; anybody else?"

"That ranger--"

"That tells the good stories. Yes," Beven interrupted. "Anybody else?"

Emerald shook her head, "There were some Elves, and more men, and dwarves, and a wizard, and a hobbit."

Beven looked at what he'd written down, then repeated himself, "Yes, we need to get you to Rivendell. The only question is how."

ILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILKILILILILIL

Getting King Orwig's permission for Emerald to venture to Rivendell didn't prove nearly so difficult as she and Bevin had feared, though not from their own doing. It was, in fact, Emerald's own mother who cast her from the nest.

For some time, Beven and Emerald were both lost in thought concerning what needed to be done. Whoever was sending the dreams to Emerald had failed to convey a clear message as to when she needed to leave, which was causing some confusion.

As for the kingdom, things were getting gradually worse. Another attack had occurred, this one killing two armed guards --they were the first two members of the kingdom to be killed in a skirmish since The Last Alliance. The entire kingdom was devastated because of it; for two weeks not a note of music was heard, no feasts or celebrations were to be had, and everything just took on such a glum atmosphere that King Orwig began to worry for the people's survival. He called for a large funeral and day of mourning, then ordered that the best way to remember the fallen heros was by continuing living the life they had died defending. The people grudgingly agreed.

That didn't end the threat of orcs, though, and the kingdom grew tragically accustomed to watching and listening every single step they took for any sign of the foul creatures. Emerald herself was quite naive, sheltered in her palace, but the citizens' moral dropped drastically because of it. Safe behind guarded walls, in a family of strong men, Emerald heard only a mild mention of the death, and saw none of the extreme effects it had on her kingdom, but the people would never forget it.

All in all, it was an extremely hard time for the kingdom, and things were in such upheaval that Emerald and Beven hardly had the time nor heart to broach the subject of the doom of Middle Earth with their father. They conversed with each other about it in secret, pouring over anything they could find in their library about the One Ring, and closely scrutinized maps for the safest route to Rivendell.

King Orwig was occupied in body, mind, and spirit with affairs of the kingdom. He was a splendid ruler, and truly cared for all his people as if they were his own family. So intent on searching for a way to protect his people was he, that he failed to notice the hint of worry in every step his daughter took.

But his wife noticed it. The worry wasn't blatantly evident, probably explaining why it bypassed Orwig, and nobody except the mother would ever have notice the shadow. Lilwen worried, though, and could wait no longer than three weeks and two days before finally cornering her only daughter in a courtyard.

"Emerald?"

Emerald looked over her shoulder, then stopped, seeing it was her mother. With all the politeness she'd been trained in, she responded, "Yes?" despite the annoyance at Lilwen for disrupting her rush to the library. The ring was being strange again.

Lilwen hurried to stand beside her, then asked, "What are you up to, little one?"

"Pardon?"

Taking Emerald's arm, she slowly began guiding her to a bench and whispered, "Your father doesn't see it, nor your brothers, nor any of the servants around you, but I've noticed a slight shadow. What troubles you?"

Emerald gave her mother a hesitant glance. The thought of telling her mother about the ring and the dreams and all had never crossed her mind, actually. It wasn't that the two weren't close, but Emerald sort of felt like it was all a little too childish to concern an adult with. Then again, she and Beven were discovering that it wasn't all so much a game.

Giving her mother a serious look, she asked, "What would you say if I told you I've got a sign?"

"Got a sign..." Lilwen mused, which piqued Emerald.

"Don't do that, Mama," she insisted, shaking her head. "You always do that: talking down to me."

"I don't talk down to you," Lilwen argued. "It's just, when you say you've _got_ a sign."

"I have! You can ask Beven," Emerald argued, then shook her head.

Lilwen sighed and squeezed her daughter's hand, "I'm sorry, sweetie. I believe you. Tell me about your sign." Emerald looked unconvinced. "Honestly. Tell me everything." She still wasn't entirely positive about doing so, but her mother's urging proved to be enough poking at the wine bag to make it burst, so that Emerald suddenly felt she absolutely _must_ tell someone.

"Do you remember that night a long, long, loooong time ago when...oh, you probably don't. Well, a long time ago, me and Tegryn and Hergest found a sign in my room."

"Yes?"

"It was this puddle..." and she launched into details of that memorable night. Lilwen listened, not really believing it, until Emerald slipped the chain and ring off her neck and handed it to her mother. While the queen studied the piece of jewelry, Emerald explained about the dreams. When she mentioned the poem, Lilwen's head jerked up.

"Recite that again, Emerald," she asked, so Emerald did so. "Oh, dear. Oh, dear, oh, dear."

"What, Mama?" Emerald asked, a shudder running through at her mother's sudden seriousness. There wasn't any playful teasing in her face anymore.

"Show me these things you and Beven have written down," Lilwen instructed. Emerald nodded, took the ring back, and quickly led the way to the library, where Beven was sitting in the window, drawing his ideal trail on a map.

"Mother? What is it?"

Words are needless here. For the next hour, the three poured over the books, Lilwen merely listening and asking a question here or there as Beven and Emerald explained all they had figured out about anything at all.

When finally Beven sat back and shrugged, "And that's all we know," Lilwen looked with concern at both her children, knitting her hands in her lap like a nervous elven-child. At Emerald's and Beven's curious looks, she stated simply, "Wait here," then rose and left the library, returning several minutes later with a book in her hand.

The book itself didn't look to be anything special on the outside. A ratty leather cover, stained and scratched with bent corners, held together a good two inches of worn paper, yet it was still relatively small. Lilwen handed it to Emerald, who in turn ran her fingers gently over the front cover and the words etched in gold. In the center read "Hir Sidh," or "find peace." Underneath that was, "Han Natha," "It will be."

"Open it," Lilwen urged, sitting back as Beven and Emerald both leaned in. The front page was a jumble of writing, about seeing what was around you, and knowing the hearts of those around you, and keeping your friends close but you enemies closer. Just a bunch of advice for life, as Beven put it.

The surprise came on the next page, where "Emerald" was written in fancy script across the top, and underneath was her birth announcement. The page and several after it went on to give accounts of birthdays, day to day adventures, parties, and anything else that could be constructed as important in the life of Emerald. It even had mention of the dreams, and the night she'd seen the puddle, and finding the emerald ring.

Emerald looked up at her mother in surprise and asked, "You already knew about the ring?" Lilwen shook her head that she hadn't, leaned over, and turned the page.

Next was the same thing on Beven, then Tegryn, and Hergest, and Auryn, and Gildas. It even had accounts of King Orwig and Queen Lilwen.

Emerald looked at her mother curiously and asked, "What _is_ this?" She stopped flipping the pages once reaching her mother's.

"You'd only been with us little over three years," Lilwen explained, looking fondly at Emerald, "when I took you to Lond Daer. You were giggly and cheerful and wanted to roam all over the place, but I refused to let you, like any good mother would with their baby. I'd only turned my head for a second, and you were gone.

"I was worried sick, and looked all over for you, and finally found you. You were sitting in this rickety little wooden boat, floating tied up to a small pier. Just sitting there, in that boat. When I walked over, you looked up and laughed and smiled. In that boat was a sword and a book."

"This book?" Beven guessed. Lilwen nodded.

"Yes, that book. When I opened it, I found the same thing as you, except the accounts of each life weren't as long, since not as much time had elapsed, of course. I've kept that book, and have been able to see those accounts just appear on their own accord."

Beven flipped back to Emerald's pages, and pointed out, "It talks about her getting the ring, and having the dreams, though, so why didn't you already know?"

"That wasn't in there," Lilwen shrugged. "It's odd, though. The book has only ever told things that have already occured. Not things that _are_ happening, or things that _will_ happen, but things that have already come to pass. I found something last night that doesn't make sense, though. Or, at least, it didn't until I talked to you two."

She leaned foward and flipped the pages once more, to the page after the account of her own life. It was blank save for one excerpt at the top, which she nodded to Emerald to read.

It was written in the plain tongue, unlike everything else, "24 Yàvië: Emerald leaves for Rivendell."

Beven chuckled slightly and stated, "Well, I guess that solves our confusion, Emmy. I don't think it could be any plainer than that."

Emerald wasn't so assured, though, and questioned, "Who left the book?"

"I don't know; there was nobody around. I always figured you just picked it up somewhere."

"And carried it to a boat, and got into the boat, with a sword, all by myself, when I was three?" Lilwen shrugged, though agreed it didn't make much sense. "What happened to the sword?"

Lilwen gave a half-smile, getting wrapped up in this all as well, and added to the whole mystery, "It got taken to Rivendell."

Emerald groaned, covered her face in her hands, and whined, "My head hurts!" and returned from her momentary flash of seriousness to the take-everything-lightly, life-is-grand Emerald everyone knew.

Beven took a different approach and asked, his mother, "How can we convince Father to let Emmy go to Rivendell? She _has_ to go."

With a mischevious smile, a stab of youth returning to the age-worn queen, Lilwen assured them, "Leave that to me."


	5. Chapter 5

The next month and a half flew by for Emerald, who was having a hard time truly grasping the fact that she was about to leave her home since birth. Though she'd dreamed since a small child, and still did, for she had a lot of growing yet, of setting out on her very own adventure, the idea that it was now really happening startled her. It was one of those times where you desire something so much, but don't think it could ever _really_ happen to you. 

Queen Lilwen had easily convinced her husband to allow Emerald a trip to Rivendell. She'd merely pointed out the fact that their kingdom was under attack, and that Emerald, curious and somewhat foolish as she was, would no doubt walk into an orc's trap sooner or later. Emerald had huffed with indignation at the statement, but it got her the needed permission.

Preparations were made with all sorts of gusto as King Orwig wanted to make absolute sure that his beloved treasure would make it safe and sound to Rivendell in complete comfort. The idea of her being out of harm's way in a distant kingdom, at least until he could get his own kingdom matters under control, proved reason enough for him to dismiss Beven, Gildas, Hergest, and Tegryn to escort her, along with several other of his best guards, both men and elves, that could no doubt beat the life out of anybody who dared mess with his princess. He hadn't wanted to let Beven and Gildas go, since they proved so useful to the kingdom in times of trial, but Beven had specifically asked permission of leave, and Gildas was acting as ambassador to several other kingdoms. On the way back from Rivendell, after dropping Emerald safely off, he would stop by their kingdom's neighbors and ask for any assistance at all.

And so, on August 25th, just after breakfast, Emerald hugged her mother and father good-bye, though hopefully not for long, and kissed her remaining brother, dear Auryn, on the cheek. With her saddle-bags on faithful Occamy, and all the men escorting her mounted on their own horses, prancing impatiently in the courtyard, impatient to go, Emerald mounted and allowed Occamy to follow Gildas, watching the kingdom grow slowly smaller and smaller.

"Are you all right, Emerald?" Hergest asked with concern, riding astride her. "You don't look so happy to be leaving, but I thought you would be. You've always wanted an adventure, after all."

Emerald smiled sadly, then answered, "I _am_ excited. But I never realized an adventure started with you leaving home and family behind."

"You aren't leaving _all_ your family behind," Tegryn pointed out from behind. "Just think of this as a large bonding experience with your favorite brothers."

Gildas called over his shoulder, pointing to the sky, "If those clouds mean anything, we could be bonding very closely the next couple days."

Gildas was right. Only three days had passed and Emerald was more water-logged than she thought possible. Her cotton dress seemed to open its arms for the rain, and clung to her all over. Her skirts snuggled up to her legs and rubbed them red with Occamy's motion. Her boots had shriveled her toes painfully, so that she'd removed them, but couldn't walk on the ground for all the stinging nettles and sharp rocks. Her hair hung in limp clumps down her back and wrapped around her neck and face as if to suffocate her. Even the cloak she wore, which repelled some of the water, was weighted down and cumbersome.

Emerald, though, even in her woman's attire which was definitely _not_ made to endure the elements, was handling the weather better than many of the men. Tegryn grumbled about the cold which had made his ears and nose turn rosy pink, and earned him various ribbing from the others, calling him 'Pretty Boy'. The guards grumbled about the thick rain which made it difficult to see. Beven grumbled about the rain trying to seep into his bags and ruin his books. Hergest grumbled about the thunder that made him jump every time it boomed, though he tried to hide his anxiety. Gildas grumbled about the rain making everyone else grumble. The horses grumbled about the mud up their legs, making it hard to pick their way along. Emerald was left the only one to accept the adversity for what it was, and face it, and ride along, making up a song about the rain.

"Emerald."

"Yes?"

"Would you stop that singing?"

Emerald frowned, "Don't tell me what to do, Gildas. I think I sing beautifully."

"Emerald..."

Nedron, the head guard, did _not_ want to listen to them bicker. Personally, he'd enjoyed listening to the Princess's singing. He'd always been fond of her, and it only helped things to have _some_body who wasn't completely downcast from the weather. It was just his luck that he spotted a rock overhang at that exact moment.

Pointing it out to the others, he suggested, "What do you say we go ahead and make camp for the night? It's a little early, but it will give us time to maybe dry out a little." Everyone was quick to agree.

The area they were traveling was sparse forest and lots of rocks, but this was the first adequate shelter they'd seen since they'd left the kingdom. There was just enough room for everyone to fit underneath, with the horses clumped together at the edge, barely in out of the rain. They didn't seem to mind, though, and were just relieved at the break.

Emerald looked warily at the sharp rocks and stinging plants scattered on the ground beneath her before she dismounted and wondered at how she would make the short trip from Occamy to the rock overhang without stinging the life out of her feet. Novothian noticed the dilemma and was ready to offer to carry her, but Gildas beat him to it, sending the guard-man a warning glare. Gildas had never been too fond of Novothian, who was perhaps a tad too interested in his baby sister.

Underneath the overhang, Airelone and Pherannon were quick to get a fire going, while several others scrounged through their bags for dinner. Emerald smiled sweetly to Hergest as he handed her her bag and sat beside her. He'd been especially nice lately, as if he sensed something was going on with his sister. Either that, or he wanted something.

The rain continued to pour outside, and thunder cracked, and lightening illuminated the skies, but under the overhang was warm and cozy once the fire got going. Emerald shed her cloak, and tucked her feet up under her skirts like a proper lady, then pulled the ring out from her dress and used the firelight to see into it.

"You still have that?" Hergest asked.

Emerald nodded, "Of course I do. It's a sign."

Hergest didn't comment on her sign belief, but asked, "Do you ever see anything in it? Like you said when you first got it?"

"No," she sighed. "Well, yes, but I haven't for a month now." _Ever since that big battle,_ she added silently.

Mainen handed her a plate of food, nothing extraordinary since they were trying to ration themselves for the month-plus the journey would take, and Emerald happily tucked the warm food away. Nedron, Gildas, and Beven were discussing if the rain was ever going to stop, while Alagedh and Novothian argued over the best way to keep dry.

Tegryn sat on Emerald's other side, and the terrible trio was semi-united again, after an all-together too-long absence. Emerald smiled and felt her heart warm, just sitting between Tegryn and Hergest as the former tried to boss the latter into getting him seconds.

"Hey, Emmy. If you're ever going to get married, it would benefit you to learn how to serve your husband dinner," Tegryn tried, turning his pitiful attempts at manipulation on his sister.

Emerald gave him a un-concerned look and offered, "And if _you _are ever going to be married, you had best learn to take care of yourself." Hergest laughed, until Tegryn reached around and knocked him hard on the back of the head, at which point he turned his attention to rubbing the assaulted spot.

Once her food was gone, Emerald leaned lazily against Tegryn, who, for once, didn't push her off. It was a sweet moment, seeing the two royal children who looked most alike, sitting against each other beside the fire. The flames played with their dark auburn hair, so uncommon among elves of even their lineage, and shadows bounced off their fair skin. Where Tegryn's blue eyes laughed at something Airelone had brought up, though, his sister's deep emerald eyes drifted to the wet outdoors, lost in thought.

Beven chuckled as Hergest broke the tranquil moment between the two, accidently dumping a cup of water onto Emerald's skirts. She just laughed, though, and handed him back the empty cup, assuring him that her skirts were already too soaked to know the difference.

As things were settling down, watches had been drawn, and everyone was attempting to find a spot to stretch out without kicking another in the head, Emerald brought up that Airelone had promised her a story after declaring that Alagedh's narrative that morning at breakfast was as boring as it was humorless. Airelone made a big deal about not knowing any worth telling, but Alagedh and Tegryn had both seen him practicing something all day to tell Emerald, and rolled their eyes at his modesty. Finally, he was persuaded to go on so that everyone could get to sleep by a less-than-patient and maybe slightly cranky Pherannon.

Standing and knocking his head on the low ceiling, he decided to maybe stay seated, and announced, "I learned this song with a couple friends of mine when we were visiting Bree.

_Fiddle hey, fiddle ho, the day grows old  
Stop and sing and dance a while  
Grab a mug and take a slug  
And listen to my tale of woe. _

One day in the town, I was strolling around  
Minding my own business like always I do  
When a crime-filled man started calling my name  
And we started a nice conversation.  
But that turned to sour, and awfully rude  
'Till fighting was what it came to.  
Says I, "You'll not catch me!"  
Says he, "So I shall."  
And we ran and we raced and I knew not to stop  
But woe is me, for caught I was by he  
And whoop there goes my hand.

Fiddle hey, fiddle ho, the day grows old  
. Stop and sing and dance a while  
Grab a mug and take a slug  
And listen to my tale o' woe.

I swear my whole life did flash by  
As I 'countered a goblin, sitting by a stream.  
He drew his knife --size of a horse, he was!–  
Chased me for a day and half, but I got away.  
'Cept one point I stumbled, he caught up  
And whoop there goes a toe.

Fiddle hey, fiddle ho, the day grows old.  
Stop and sing and dance a while.  
Grab a mug and take a slug  
And listen to my tale of woe.

They say a drunk man's a puppy.  
Really, I say I must beg to differ.  
Met a drunk once, by the name of JimRobBobber  
I talked and smiled and chatted a while,  
Thinking he was enjoying my company -a good one I have.  
He begged to differ and up he came and off I went  
But not before whoop there goes an ear.

Fiddle hey, fiddle ho...

Now I always been quite a feller with horses  
Always had a way with animals.  
'Cept for one, Thunderbucket's his name.  
Didn't 'preciate the finer things I have to teach.  
Seemed fightin' was his game  
Kicked me good and hard  
And whoop there goes my nose.

Fiddle hey, fiddle ho...

Now I had yet to meet the toughest beast  
A woman, Iluvator's own masterpiece.  
Fiercest of all, if you don't behave  
Like wiping your feet and 'membering to bath.  
So let me warn you good and well  
No matter how guarded and tough you may be  
A long'll come a lassie  
And whoop there goes your heart."

The men found it all pretty funny, and Emerald tried to look amused to be polite, but she thought it was incredibly stupid and pointless. It wasn't a very good song at all.

Beven shook his head, "Was that entirely appropriate?" and motioned to Emerald.

"That's right. There's a lady in our presence," Novothian agreed, doing his best to look loyal and just in front of Emerald, though he thought the song mildly humorous.

Airelone dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand, "It was about as clean as they come." After that, camp settled down, Mainen prepared himself for his watch, and the rain continued on.

TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLLTLTLTLTLLT

"I think I see something!"

"Well what is it?" Tegryn grunted. He tried to look up at Emerald bot only managed in gaining a mouthful of skirt. "Damn these blasted skirts," he muttered.

Beneath him, Hergest could only groan and wonder why he was always stuck at the bottom.

"It's-" she started, but was prevented from saying anything when poor Hergest at the bottom could hold them no longer. His legs buckled and all three pitched forward onto the dirt ground. There was confusion and complaining and rubbing of new bruises as all three scrambled to right themselves from the fall.

Tegryn slapped poor abused Hegrest on the arm, but Emerald took the tumble in stride and finished, "It's some kind of tower. But it's all knocked down, so there are only pieces left."

"Well that's where we're headed then," Tegryn announced triumphantly.

Hergest stood slower than the other two and suggested, "Shouldn't we wait, though? At least go back and get the others. There could be goblins or orcs or something there."

"Well, if there are, then _I'll_ beat them," Emerald assured him. "Except I'll have to borrow your sword."

They began walking, and Tegryn argued, "If there's any fighting, it'll be my battle. I'm the strongest here-- ow!" He looked at Emerald angrily and rubbed the spot on his arm she had pinched.

"Obviously not if your baby sister hurt you," she rebutted. He reached out to pinch her back, but she ducked away from him and walked on the other side of Hergest, putting him in the middle of their squabbles, like always.

Their plan to venture off on their own was foiled as Alagedh and Nedron appeared just to their right, looking around suspiciously.

"What is it?" Emerald asked cheerfully, prancing up to them and following the direction they stared.

Alagedh motioned for her to hush and whispered, "Can't you hear it?"

"Hear what?" she whispered back. Tegryn put a hand over her mouth, forcing her to hush, and they all listened. The faint sound of something large stomping on the ground, snapping branches underfoot.

Emerald's curiosity was piqued more than alarm or fear, and she whispered to Tegryn, "Boost me up!"

"Not again!" Hergest groaned softly, but his discomfort was prevented when the sound stopped growing closer, and loud bellowing erupted. Hergest clapped his hands over his hears, while Nedron, Alagedh, and Tegryn all instinctively drew their swords. Emerald, though, abandoned all common sense and rushed in the direction of the terrible sounds.

"Lady Emerald!" Nedron cried, followed by several comments from the others about "head-strong," "naive," and "idiot." They quickly ran after her.

Emerald easily wove through the trunks and low branches, jumped over stumps and roots, and miraculously didn't trip on anything. She finally came to an abrupt halt, running into a tree on purpose to absorb her speed and stop in time, then quickly ducked behind a large bush. The others came after her, but were able to stop _without_ running into large inanimate objects, and were just as quick to hide themselves.

"What are they?" Tegryn asked, never quite sold for studies.

Emerald was the one to answer in an amazed whisper, "Oliphaunts!" Beside her, Alagedh nodded. "But...I didn't know there were wild oliphaunts around here."

"Me, neither," Alagedh admitted.

Nedron shook his head, "There aren't. These must have escaped from the Haradrim. They're probably somewhat tame--"

"No," Tegryn groaned as soon as the words had left Nedron's mouth. Not a half-second later Emerald had left the shelter of the tree line and ventured out into the open.

Hergest slapped his forehead, "Now you've done it. Go get her, Nedron."

"No, hold on," Alagedh put his hand in front of Nedron's chest. "Watch." All four stared with amazement as Emerald walked out between the two oliphaunts, who were quenching their thirst from the small lake. They didn't seem to notice, or at least not mind, her presence. In fact, it wasn't until Emerald was standing directly between them at the water's edge, squinting through the sunlight at the monstrous creatures, that one even turned to look at her.

It seemed confused by her merely standing there, not threatening it or yelling or waving sharp, pointy objects around. The other one was a little more outgoing and curiously lowered its massive trunk to feel around, to gain a better understanding of what this stranger was all about. Emerald giggled as the trunk poked at her skirts, then reached her small hand forward and ran it along the bumpy grey surface. The trunk wrapped around her mid-section, and the small fraction of caution in her mind worried it was to crush her, but instead of panicking, she spun around and ducked out from underneath.

The first oliphaunt gave a loud bellow, which made her jump, and did not look too happy, but the second was entertained and shook its head in apparent disagreement. It was especially attracted to her hair, and how the locks went flying when it huffed at her.

Emerald patted the great trunk again and offered sweetly, "I'll name you two, since whoever you ran from probably wasn't nice enough to name you." She thought a moment, then announced, "I shall call you Aeglos and Niphredil, since you are both just as pretty as flowers." They didn't react to the names at all, or her mindless banter, but Emerald assumed they were okay with it.

Aeglos, the first oliphaunt, was continuing to grumble, at which point Emerald decided there must be a reason why he was so distressed on such a beautiful day. Under his watchful eye, she walked around to his other side, inspecting as she went, and, sure enough, found a bloody wound in his right leg, where half a pike was sticking out.

"Oh, dear," she sighed with sympathy. "Poor Aeglos. No wonder you aren't in a good mood."

"Emerald! It's hurt; don't mess with it!" one of the men yelled from their hiding spots, but she ignored them.

"I'm afraid I don't have any cloth big enough to wrap around your whole leg," she apologized. "But there is Boamort here, and I know how to make a patch out of that, which will work just as well. Perhaps even better." Setting her mind to the task, she hurried to the water's edge where the Boamort grew, a plant notorious for its stickiness. It was often used as a bandage, among various other things, but it would definitely serve the purpose now. When she finally gathered enough, she set it just out of the water's reach, since liquid activated the stickiness, and hurried back to Aeglos.

"Come here, you," Emerald ordered, grabbing for his trunk with both her hands and tugging gently to guide him to the water's edge. He followed, rolling his eyes in some unknown message to Niphredil.

"Now, this will probably hurt a bit," Emerald warned, standing beside the wound, just above shoulder level to her. Not giving Aeglos a chance to move away, she reached forward, wrapped her hands firmly around the broken wood, and gave a hard tug. At first it wouldn't budge, and Aeglos started bellowing and shaking, but she managed to yank it out, bracing her foot against Aeglos's huge foot.

As soon as the spear was free, she fell back, and Aeglos let out more loud roars of pain and anger and reared up into the sky, a sight for anybody to see. The men all feared for Emerald's life and sprinted from the shelter of the trees to their lady's side and helped her up, while drawing their swords.

"No! Put your swords away!" Emerald screamed. "You'll scare them. Stop it right now!" It took several seconds for them to comprehend and follow what she was saying, and until then Niphredil and Aeglos both became jittery. When the shiny weapons were hidden, they calmed down, at least enough for Emerald to pat Aeglos' leg affectionately.

"There you go," she cooed. "It's out, and all I have left to do is patch you up, so it doesn't go green or anything." Her voice was calming to the upset beast, so she continued rambling on as she rushed to wet the leaves and plaster them over the open and bleeding wound. "I've never actually seen anything go green, but that's what Mama always told me when I'd get a splinter. Of course, a splinter is a lot smaller than a pike, but then, you're a lot bigger than I. And you're awfully brave. You're being such a good oliphaunt, and...there. I'm finished, now, Aeglos, and I do believe you'll be all right."

Behind her, Alagedh sighed and shook his head, "It's no wonder the king is so stressed, if you pull stunts like these often."

"Well, Nienna, if you're done with your nursing, we'd best get back to camp before the others worry about our absence," Nedron suggested, approaching her.

Emerald looked at him with horror, "But I can't just leave Aeglos and Niphredil here."

"Oh for goodness sake, you named them?" Tegryn asked with disbelief. Emerald glared at him.

Nedron, as has been stated, was awfully fond of Emerald as if she were his own daughter, and didn't wish to upset her, but they really needed to return to camp, as the sun was slowly beginning to set.

"You'll have to."

"But what if they get hurt? Or they get captured?" she worried.

"They'll be fine," Nedron assured her. "Oliphaunts are hardy; they can take care of themselves. You've plastered that wound fine enough that it'll be okay. The Haradrim won't venture this far west, and your friends here know better than to return east. I daresay these two will live out the rest of their days happily roaming around here, free as can be."

Emerald looked unhappy with the response, but she understood that she must continue on, and Lord Elrond would most likely not be to pleased with her bringing along a pair of oliphaunts. And what Nedron had said was correct: they would be free, and that was how they needed to be. She nodded sadly and allowed the four men to lead her away, but not before giving both Aeglos and Niphredil good-bye pats and wishing them the most golden paths possible.

Before they reached camp, Tegryn shoved her and told her to cheer up, at which she informed him, "I think those are the two nicest oliphaunts I've ever met...not that I've exactly met any before."


	6. Chapter 6

"What is this place?" Hergest whispered, riding astride Emerald. Both stopped in line with the others to look at the area before them. Where once an ancient city of men had stood, now only ruins remained. Many homes and buildings had been destroyed, but those that remained were abandoned. Weeds grew up in the roads and floors of houses, vines masked doorways and windows, and the town lacked any civilized life. 

"Tharbad, right?" Emerald guessed. Beven nodded.

Novothian looked at the princess and inquired, "What's Tharbad?"

"You don't know?" Novothian shook his head and flushed with embarrassment. Emerald hadn't meant to make him uncomfortable and explained, "It's a city of men. Or it was. It was destroyed not very long ago, in 2912."

"2912 is a long time ago to a man," Novothian offered, trying to regain some dignity.

Emerald smiled slightly, "I guess it is. It's odd to think you weren't alive for the Fell Winter."

"You remember that, Emmy? You were only seven years old," Beven asked with amazement.

She nodded, "Of course I remember it. Nobody will ever be able to forget it." Turning to Nothian, she continued, "It's was built by men. After the Fell Winter, though, when all the ice and snow melted, Gwathlo flooded. This city was flooded, too. The people were already starved and frozen, and now their city was underwater, so they abandoned it. Am I right, Beven?"

"Yes. Good girl for remembering your history."

"It's hardly history," she shrugged. "Only things that happened before I was born are history."

"What happened to all the people?"

Mainen answered the question, "A lot of them died from starvation or the cold. The ones that survived went to different places: some stayed in the wild, some to Gondor, Rohan, or even our very own kingdom. That's how my parents arrived."

Everyone was silent for a moment, before Emerald asked, "Should we go in?" It was decided they would, only to see if there was any supplies to be found, so everyone dismounted and set their horses up to graze while they wandered in the city.

Tegryn and Hergest stuck with Emerald, out of habit more than anything. She led them down the overgrown paths and between buildings beaten by weather and the wild.

"It's sort of...eery how abandoned this place is," Tegryn commented as they looked in on one of the abandoned houses.

Hergest nodded, "It's a ghost village."

Emerald listened to their chatter, grateful for the sound, as she stepped further into the abandoned home. Though it hadn't been a sudden disappearance of the inhabitants, still many things were left behind. While her brothers admired a collection of daggers left out on a table, Emerald wandered over to a desk with papers scattered around. They were dry, and didn't even look that old! Curiously, she picked one up and skimmed over it.

_Three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,  
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,  
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,  
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne  
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.  
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,  
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them  
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie._

It was a poem already known to her; Beven had come across it in his research once they'd concluded she was dreaming of the One Ring. There were similar poems on the other sheets, but nothing of interest to her.

Tegryn and Hergest were still talking in the background about how eery the city was, and Emerald was just thinking the same thing when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. It was so slight that usually it wouldn't have caught of her attention, but the fact that it was out of place made it stick. She turned her head to see movement again, but nothing that she could pin her eye on. Then someone giggled! It was definitely _not_ a man's giggle, and Emerald was sure _she_ hadn't giggled. Curiosity aroused, she set the last paper down and moved in the direction of where she'd seen the motion.

It was through a doorway that she headed, and then looked around for signs of anything. Nothing at first, but then she heard the giggling again. Emerald spun around to see a young girl, wearing a frilly dress and plaits, standing in the doorway leading out the back of the house. The girl looked about Emerald's age, whether human or elf, but her dark hair and tanner skin showed an obvious difference in heritage.

"Who are you?" Emerald asked with confusion. She was positive this place was abandoned; so what was a girl doing here? Instead of answering her question, the stranger giggled again, twisting her skirts in her hand.

"Who are you?" Emerald repeated. "What are you doing here?" Not looking away from her, Emerald called over her shoulder, "Tegryn, Hergest, come here! There's a girl in here!" She heard her brothers drop whatever they were holding and come sprinting over. Just before they stepped into sight, though, the mysterious girl turned and sprinted outside. Not waiting, Emerald took off after her.

The stranger stayed just far enough ahead of her that Emerald couldn't reach her, and she was faster than even a young elf. The two ran out into the road, then between houses, and through homes, and around broken statues.

"Wait up!" Emerald called. "I just want to talk to you!" Behind her, Tegryn and Hergest were yelling similar things to her.

Emerald was just beginning to gain on her when Airelone stepped right into her path and she went crashing into him, knocking both to the ground.

"Airelone!"

"Where are you running off to, Lady Emerald?" he questioned. "Your brothers won't be too happy if you get yourself lost or hurt."

"I found somebody," she explained while jumping up. "And I'm trying to talk to her!" She took off running again and saw that the strange girl was no further ahead, as if she had waited to make sure Emerald would keep running.

Airelone was completely confused, but seeing Tegryn and Hergest running after her, he joined in, though he wasn't nearly as fast as the two elves.

Emerald was following the girl up a flight of stairs and was almost to the top when Alagedh, Beven, and Nedron made their appearance known by stepping out from a building they'd been investigating.

"Emerald, what are you--" but she was already passed them. So they joined the line and the chase went on.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you!" Emerald cried out. "I just want to talk to you. Stop!"

The stranger turned around, but somehow kept running, and giggled, but said nothing. She led Emerald through another house, completely empty of anything at all, then through a small pond in the middle of the road, and across a giant veranda. Emerald was frustrated by the game of chase. The girl would be but ten steps in front of her, then she'd disappear, but then she'd be back again, as if making sure she didn't get too far ahead.

Finally, when Emerald was getting ready to give up, the mysterious girl approached the city's throne hall. A large flight of stairs led up to it, and the wooden soles of Emerald's shoes clicked on the stone, while the strange girl moved silently. Emerald followed her through the front doors, then through the hall which, oddly enough, didn't look broken at all. It was still decorated like it probably had been during the glory days of Tharbad, with banners and statues and intricate wall hangings. It didn't look touched by age at all...

Emerald ignored this and hurried after the girl. She was getting closer and closer, until the girl finally stopped, outside the throne hall, standing on a large balcony. Emerald hurried over to her before she could move.

"Thank goodness, you stopped," Emerald breathed, resting a hand on the balcony railing to support herself. "I didn't think you'd ever..." she trailed off. The strange girl looked at her and giggled, then looked out from the balcony and raised her right hand up in the air. A loud cheer rose up.

Emerald's head jerked to the side to see hundreds of people gathered below the balcony. They were men with their wives and children, of all ages, all standing there, watching the strange girl on the balcony, and herself as well.

"Wh-what's going on? This city is abandoned!" Emerald demanded, squeezing the railing. She knew this to be a fact, yet the girl beside her and the people below were every bit as real as she was, their clapping and yelling just as real to her ears as her pounding heart.

The girl looked at her expectantly. When Emerald didn't do anything, she re-raised her arm, motioning for Emerald to do likewise. Still confused, she did so, and another cheer went up.

"What is all this?" Emerald whispered to the girl.

To her surprise, the stranger asked, "They're your people, Emerald. Don't you know them? They're your people."

Emerald shook her head, "I don't understand. Who are you?"

"Váromë," the girl answered finally. "Don't you know them?"

"I don't know them, I don't think," Emerald insisted. She looked at the people again, all watching and waiting patiently, yet expectantly. For what, she wasn't sure. "Who are they?"

Váromë giggled, "They are your people, Emerald. It is very important that you remember them."

"How can I remember them if I've never seen them?"

"Must you see things to know them? To remember them?" Váromë inquired.

Emerald thought a moment, then answered, "I...guess not. I'll know Rivendell when I see it because people have told me about it, but I've never seen it."

"Do you remember Shadow?"

Emerald's face scrunched up in thought, "What do you mean, shadow? Like when the sun goes down? Or do you mean shadow like in Mordor?"

"You are so innocent. But you will have to know Shadow when you see it," Váromë instructed.

"_I_ don't know."

"Will you or won't you?" Emerald was hopelessly confused, and Váromë was a little frustrated. "What is darkness?" she asked.

"That's easy. Darkness is the lack of light."

Váromë gave her a proud look and praised, "You're the only one who would give that answer, Emerald. And darkness and Shadow are one in the same, yes?"

"And?"

"Where there is Light, Shadow cannot come." Emerald repeated this quietly to herself. Váromë seemed pleased with this and continued, "When Light goes forth, all Shadow shall be blinded and flee before it. Where Love is great, Hatred cannot enter. And where Hope stands proud, Despair shall not approach."

"That's all well and good, but what does it have to do with remembering? You've truly confused me now."

Váromë gave a lilting laugh, then pointed to the group below, "These are your people, Emerald. You must remember them."

"But I don't _know_ them."

"You must remember even when you don't know."

Emerald rubbed her forehead, "Is this suppose to make sense?" Again, the other girl was amused.

"Look at those people. What do you see?" Emerald did as she was told and looked at the group more closely. There were men, women, and lots of children like she'd noticed before, but now she saw that some were elves. There were dwarves, and even a couple giants, of which very few people have ever seen.

"They're very different," Emerald noted. "They're all different races."

"Yes. Your people are all different, Emerald. You must remember them. You must know them from Shadow."

"But if they are all different, how can I recognize them?"

"You like poems," Váromë pointed out. "So memorize what I said. When Light goes forth, all Shadow shall be blinded and flee before it. Where Love is great, Hatred cannot enter. And where Hope stands proud, Despair shall not approach."

"It's pretty, but it's not really a poem."

Váromë laughed, "I'm not much of a poet, I suppose. But can you remember it?"

Emerald repeated it, then nodded.

"Very good. Now look at your people." Emerald did so, and another cheer went up from the hundreds gathered below.

From the doorway of the balcony, Nedron asked, "Princess Emerald?"

Váromë giggled at the intrusion, and turned to run off.

"Wait!" Emerald called out. "But...if my people are all different, how will I know them from other people's...from bad people? Shadow may run from the dark, but what if there's no light to chase it away? How do I know when good is there? I can't feel light or touch love or see hope!" Váromë stopped mid-step and turned to face Emerald again. She picked the young elf's hand up in her own and raised it to her lips, and there delivered a soft kiss.

"I can." That said, she turned and sprinted down the stairs, leaving Emerald about as confused as she'd ever been, with a single gold flower in her hand.

"Lady Emerald. Are you all right?" Mainen asked. She turned to see all ten of her companions standing close by with worried expressions.

"Yes, I'm fine," she assured them.

Hergest stepped forward, "You weren't listening to us. You were just staring out over the balcony."

"What? No I wasn't. I was talking to Váromë."

"Who?"

"Váromë! You know, she was standing right here a second ago. Curly blonde hair, big blue eyes, pretty gold dress? She gave me this," Emerald reminded them, and held up the gold flower.

Gildas shook his head, "Emmy, there was nobody there. You were just staring over the balcony. What were you looking at?"

Emerald turned and pointed, "At my..." There was nobody there. Surely that many people couldn't have left in a matter of seconds, without making any sound. Upon looking around, she noticed, too, that the throne hall had aged quite a bit in the duration of her conversation. Hurrying past the men into the main hall, she saw that the banners were ripped, the tapestries frayed, and statues broken and scattered.

"What? It wasn't like this! It was..." she shook her head.

Tegryn put his arm around his little sister's shoulder and led her out of the throne hall, "I think you're letting the ghost city get to you."

"Maybe you're right..." Emerald agreed, allowing herself to be led through the truly empty roads. _But then where did I get this golden rose?_ She noticed the slip of paper tied on and carefully opened it. Inside, in frilly writing, read, "It shall not come nigh thee. Váromë"

"Are we there yet?...Are we there yet?...Are we there yet?...Are we--"

"Emerald!"

The aforementioned grinned sweetly and asked, "Yes, Tegryn?"

"Stop being annoying."

"Whatever are you talking about, dear Tegryn?"

"You know...asking the same question over and over and over--"

"You're being annoying, Tegryn. Stop repeating yourself."

Tegryn growled with frustration and spurred his horse ahead to ride beside Gildas and away from his annoying little sister. She made a face at his back and looked back to see Beven all by himself.

Before she could say anything, Beven supplied, "We still have about 300 miles to go."

"That's a long way," Emerald sighed. "And all we've seen forever is forest and the stupid River Gwathlo."

"That's not true. We saw Tharbad. Or what's left of it, at least."

"Yes...but that was a strange experience. I still swear I talked to Váromë and she gave me that rose."

Beven shook his head, "There was seriously nobody there, Emmy. At least not that we could see. What did she tell you again?"

"When Light goes forth, all Shadow shall be blinded and flee before it. Where Love is great, Hatred cannot enter. And where Hope stands proud, Despair shall not approach. And to remember my people, who are all different."

"Well, I wrote it down in my papers, but it just sounds like some encouragement to me. Did you check your book to see if there was anything in there about it?"

Emerald nodded, "Yes. It's odd, but the book didn't create a page on her. On my page, though, it mentions me talking to her, and recorded the poem and a couple other things she said. I still just don't understand."

"It'll probably make sense in time. You should know by now all about patience."

Emerald laughed, "But I'm not patient!"

"Obviously! Miss Are-we-there-yet."

"Maybe Lord Elrond can explain it to me. I sure hope he can. My head starts hurting every time I think about it."

Beven patted her hand, "Well, then to take your mind off of it, look to your left." Emerald did so, but all she saw was swampy land with some scattered trees.

"What am I looking for?" she asked. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, an entire flock of beautiful white swans rose from the ground and gracefully danced upwards into the sky. Emerald gasped in awe of the beautiful creatures, such a lovely pure white. The innocent creatures seemed to embody all grace in those long necks, all subtle power in those long necks. It was a breathtaking sight.

Beven smiled at her enrapture, "This would be Nîn-in-Eilph, and _that_ would be what you're looking for."


	7. Chapter 7

Emerald shifted in the saddle, trying to find a way to get comfortable. Her posterior had fallen asleep, and her feet were thinking of joining it, which all resulted in a quite uncomfortable state that she couldn't seem to get rid of, no matter how she turned. With a sigh of defeat, she pulled Occamy to a halt and hopped off, then allowed him to continue on. 

"What are you doing, Emerald?" Hergest asked, giving her a look that read, 'You'd better not do anything to get us killed.' 

"I'm just walking," she assured him. "My legs are falling asleep." 

Knowing the men were all watching her closely, she allowed her mind to wander and flutter among the leaves and dart between the trunks and bath in the pools left over from an autumn shower. She allowed herself to become totally in sync with the chirping of a sparrow overhead, the rustling of fallen leaves as ground animals skittered through them, the constant hum of the aged trees swaying back and forth in their eternal dance with the wind. It was all so peaceful, so constant, so secure...Emerald could easily see herself getting lost among it all. 

She reached her hand out and ran it along the branches as she walked, ignoring the water that fell down onto her hair and skirts. They hadn't been here for it, but a storm had recently passed through this area. Now that it was over, the forest was teeming with all sorts of life, which was quite a comfort after seeing nothing for so many days. 

They reached a fresh-water stream soon, and it was decided that they would call a break to let the faithful horses rest a bit and check their course. Emerald pulled her saddle bags off Occamy's back and petted the stallions neck. 

"You're a good boy," she giggled as Occamy nuzzled her neck. 

Everyone was settling down, digging through bags for books or food, or inspecting arrows, or just lazily tossing stones back and forth in their hands. The stream reflected both the cheerful sky overhead and the fish underneath, so that the hyperactive minnows appeared to be swimming among the clouds. 

Emerald dipped her fingers just below the surface and watched as the school underneath scattered, then trailed her hand along, watching the ripples it created. 

"Creating ripples wherever you go, eh, Princess?" Alagedh laughed. 

She raised her eyebrow at him and teased, "That was deep." 

"Well, you know I've never been much of a thinker," he returned, when Emerald knew well and good he was about as artsy as they came. He'd always been very talented when it came to painting and sculpting, yet his family had insisted he go into guarding, like all the rest of them, and he was too eager to please to disagree. 

Emerald cupped a bunch of water in her hands, then raised it up and threw it on the guard, earning a curious grin, "Whatever was that for?" 

"I'm bored," she sighed. "Too much 'following the route' and not enough exploring if you ask me." 

"With all due respect, my lady," (this had long been an inside joke as he teased her for constantly being lectured about un-princess-like mischief) "but if we asked you, we'd never arrive in Rivendell, but end up in...who knows where!" 

"Alagedh! Are you accusing me of being a bad leader?" 

"Not at all. Quite the contraire, everyone follows you blindly. Even over a cliff." Emerald laughed at this; he was probably right. She had always been...let's call it persuasive. 

With a devious grin, she jumped up, "Well let's see about that. I'm going exploring right now." 

"Oh, no, you're not," Gildas corrected from a couple feet away. 

Emerald made a face and crossed her arms over her chest, "And why not?" 

"Because you'll get lost." 

"Will not." 

"Will so." 

"Will not." 

"Emerald, I've known you since you were born, and I know you will." 

She wisely shot back, "Yeah, well I've known myself since...since forever, and I know that I won't." 

"Well, you're not going." Emerald changed tactics and gave him her best pouty-face. "No, Baby. No--" 

"Please? I'll love you forever and ever and you'll be my favorite brother." 

"I thought I was your favorite brother," Beven quipped from beside Gildas, amused at the spat between the two. 

"Shut up, Beven," brother and sister ordered at the exact same time. 

Gildas looked at Emerald's pleading face, and finally, as usual, could hold out no longer, "Only if someone goes with you-- Not Tegryn or Hergest!" he added quickly, knowing the three would no doubt start a war or burn a village or something. 

Emerald looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned a sweet smile to Alagedh, who sighed and stood, "Fine, Lady Emerald. I'll go with you and keep you out of trouble." Emerald squealed, grabbed his hand, and took off, walking as fast as she could in her skirts and the branch-covered ground. 

"What's the rush?" Alagedh asked, but only a second passed before Gildas called after them, "Don't be gone long!" 

Emerald finally slowed down after several minutes of hard walking and brushed the hair out of her face, laughing at herself as she stumbled on a raised root. 

"You really are graceful, " Alagedh teased. Looking around, he asked, "Where exactly are we going?" 

"I don't know. Just looking for an adventure or something." 

Alagedh rolled his eyes and followed behind the strange elf girl. For a while it was simple and calm like that --neither talked a whole lot, except maybe about an oddly shaped tree, or a family of squirrels, or the way the excess rain water created little waterfalls, cascading from leaf to leaf every time something moved a branch. 

After he'd figured she'd had enough exploring, Alagedh suggested, "We should probably turn back, now, before your brothers worry." 

"Oh, they're fine. Besides, listen." Alagedh did so. "Do you hear that?" 

"Not again," he groaned. 

"No, not again," she mimicked him. "I just want to run see what it is, is all." 

"But last time it was oliphaunts, which could very well have killed you--" 

"But they didn't." Emerald argued. "Besides," she assured him, "I'll keep my distance this time. I promise." 

He shook his head, "You say that, but I know you too well." 

Emerald was obviously too stubborn and curious to just turn around so she bartered, "How about we make a deal. You start walking back and I'll run really fast to see what it is. I'll leave you my dagger, and I'm too scared to be wandering around here without a weapon, so you know I won't be long." 

"I think you're more curious than scared, and I don't think it'd be wise to let you wander around without a dagger to find the source of a mysterious sound." 

"Dang it, you're a good arguer. Fine, then come with me, and you can hold onto the back of my dress and pull me back if there's any trouble." Alagedh finally caved and agreed to this, and let her lead the way, cautiously, in the direction of the sound. It was unidentifiable at first to either of the elves, though one was well schooled and the other well experienced. As they drew closer, Alagedh began to get an idea, though. 

"Go slower," he warned. "It sounds big." 

"Thank you, Lord Obvious," she muttered, but did slow her pace. Just on the other side of a particularly dense wall of shrubs, Emerald and Alagedh were finally able to identify the sound. Hidden, they clearly saw the hairy, humped back of a large beast, cornering something against a tree, snapping its jowls ferociously. 

"What is it?" Emerald asked quietly, not that good at identifying animals from behind. 

Alagedh's eyes narrowed at the sight of the predator and he replied, "A warg." 

"A warg!--" 

"Shhh," he elbowed her in the arm. "It looks like it's caught something." 

"What if it's a some_one_?" Emerald asked with alarm, her green eyes growing larger by the second. Alagedh hadn't even considered that, but now that she'd suggested it, he needed to check. It would be most cowardly and un-royal-guard-like to just walk away when a possible life was at stake. 

Making a quick decision, he rested a stern hand on her shoulder, "I'm going to sneak around and check it out, okay? Whatever you do, _don't move_!" 

"What if it sees you?" 

"I don't care. _Don't move._ Understand?" Emerald nodded, and repeated it with him before he felt all right leaving her alone. Sword drawn, Alagedh slowly and silently stepped away from the Princess and made a path clear of the beast's hearing range, prepared for anything. He was careful not to do anything to attract attention. Once on the opposite side, he checked to make sure Emerald was behaving herself. She was, barely poking her head around the trunk of a broad tree, watching expectantly. 

From his hidden position, it was easy to see the warg's capture, and although the scene was a grotesque one, the buck was already dead, and Alagedh's help was not needed. He looked back at Emerald to give her the signal that all was well, or as well as could be, and it was at that instant he realized his mistake. This was a female warg. And female wargs rarely traveled alone. 

"Emerald!!" he yelled, just as the male warg let out a barking growl and lunged toward the tree Emerald was behind. She had been too busy watching Alagedh to notice the second warg growing closer to her, mistaking his footsteps for the warg Alagedh was approaching, until he'd picked up her scent. With a scream, she jumped away from the tree, which shook as the warg ran full speed into it. The beast shook its head at the impact, then recovered immediately and went around the obstacle. 

Emerald felt her back hit a tree and ducked behind it, but the warg wasn't stupid enough to hit the tree again. It was a fast learner, and this was an interesting prey. With an angry growl, he lunged at her again, but she leapt out of the way just in time. A low-slung rope-like branch made her stumble, but it slowed down the warg as well as he scrambled over. 

Time seemed to be barely inching along, and Emerald could only wonder where Alagedh was. Though she couldn't see it, he was having his own problems, fighting off the angered female warg, which was every-bit as ferocious a warrior as its mate. His fighting, too, was distracted by the fact that Emerald was unarmed and entirely dependent on his rescue. 

Emerald yelled again as a branch reached out and cut a gash just above her eye, but she didn't have time to nurse her wound. The warg was strong. She had the advantage of size, since it was easier for her to maneuver under and around the foliage, but he had the advantage of protective fur, the ability to crush things in his path, and really, really big teeth. 

Despite her attempts to flee, Emerald soon found herself backed up against a solid wall of trees that even she couldn't penetrate. The warg advanced, an arrogant gleam in his beastly face. Emerald turned and tried to run to the side, but the pebbles slipped out from beneath her feet and she landed with her stomach squarely on her fisted hands. The tumble knocked the breath out of her, and she could barely wheeze for air before the warg was on top of her. 

With a triumphant bellow, the creature lunged and snapped her arm up in his glittering teeth. Emerald screamed for all she was worth and did her best to writhe around and kick. She was getting dizzy from lack of oxygen, and now her arm was burning, and nobody was coming, and Emerald truly felt all alone. 

Then, out of nowhere, her subconscious mind remembered the small dagger she carried in the folds of her skirt, despite her brothers' assurance she would never find use for it with so many warriors around her. With the last of her strength, she yanked it out and stabbed forward, sinking the six-inch blade up to the hilt into the warg's neck. He roared with rage and opened his jaw enough to release her arm, and Emerald fell unconsciously to the ground. 

Emerald groaned and slowly opened her eyes. It took her mind a moment to wake up and her eyes to focus on her surroundings. The first thing she saw was Alagedh's worried face looming over hers. Then Tegryn and Hergest came into view, the former biting his lip to hide his worry and the latter squeezing her left hand, not bothering to hide his anxiety. The next thing that she noticed was a burning sensation in her right arm, starting at the tips of her fingers, then slowly working its way up until it reached her shoulder, and her entire limb was alive with fire. She inhaled deeply and tried to turn her head to see what was happening, but somebody was holding her head, preventing her from doing so. 

"Don't look yet, Baby," Beven instructed, brushing a lock of hair off her forehead. Emerald decided to accept his warning and didn't. A couple minutes of silence later, she pain in her arm slowly began creeping away, until it was left cold, as if somebody had buried it in the snow. Beven let go of her head and she turned to see her arm wrapped up in white cloth, already stained with blood. 

She carefully sat up and cradled her arm to her chest, then, seeing the somber faces around her, offered, "Well, Tegryn, it's proof my blood doesn't run green." This seemed to be the opening for conversation, but Gildas stole the floor right away. 

"Emerald! What were you thinking? Running off to investigate some dangerous sound? You could have been killed!" Gildas yelled, breaking the tension in the air. 

Alagedh stepped in, "It's partially my fault, my Lord. I shouldn't have left her--" 

"That's right, you shouldn't. But I'm not even going to get started on you yet. You, Emerald, know better. I _know_ Father has brought you up to know the difference between scouting and stupidly running into trouble." 

Emerald frowned and responded, "I didn't 'stupidly run into trouble'! I was afraid somebody was hurt, and Alagedh did nothing wrong. He tried to stop me, and then he left me out of harms way to investigate any danger." 

"He tried to stop you? So you willingly disobeyed a royal guard who has been sent solely to protect you? I don't care whether you're Father's Princess or not, you have _got_ to learn to respect authority, and to think before you go rushing into things." 

"Don't tell me what to do!" Emerald yelled, jumping up and knocking Hergest backwards. "You're not my father!" 

"No, but I am your older brother, and I'm in charge of you. You are ordered to follow my instruction! You could have gotten yourself and Alagedh killed, and then the wargs could have followed your scent back here." 

"I went looking to make sure no one was in trouble," Emerald shot back. "If you never step off your path to save anybody, then nobody's ever going to step off their path to save you." 

Gildas shook his head, "Your job is not to save people, Emerald. Your role in life is to stay out of trouble, do what you're told to do, get married some day, and give your husband a son. That's all you're meant to do." Emerald reached out with her left hand and slapped him hard across the face, the first time she had ever truly hit Gildas. 

Seeing what she had done, she felt little remorse, since his words had hurt her much worse. Feeling tears spring to her eyes, she turned her face from everyone and hurried over to mount Occamy. Gildas did much the same. 

The remaining men all shared nervous looks, then mounted their own steeds and the group moved on in absolute silence, the only sound an occasional sniffle from the lady of the group. 


	8. Chapter 8

Things were still tense the next day. Emerald's usual cheerfulness was absent, and this alone gave the ensemble a grave appearance. It was amazing how merely her lack of zeal could bring everyone's morale down, yet it did, and the travelers were the worse for it. There was grumbling and cranky words and short tempers. Something needed to change. 

"How's your arm doing, Lady?" Pherannon asked, pulling his horse up to beside Emerald's. The path was wider, here, and allowed them to travel in other than a single-file for the first time in some time. 

Emerald held the limb out for his inspection and painfully tried to bend it. 

"It's getting better, I think," she assured him, wincing as it burned from the movement. "I think it should be fine in a little more time." 

"Well, once we reach Rivendell, Lord Elrond will be able to make it right again. He's a wonderful healer, I can say from personal experience." Emerald gave him a curious look. As the oldest of the group, he usually refrained from story-telling or indulging in anything he deemed 'child-like.' He was most serious, a normally uncommon trait among elves. 

"Really?" Emerald prompted. "And how do _you_ know of his healing first hand?" Pherannon cast a glance over his shoulder to see if anybody was paying mind to them, and then ahead. Seeing that everyone's attention was seemingly directed somewhere else, he consented to answering her question in length. 

"I'm not a native to your father's kingdom, you may know. I hail from the distant halls of Thranduil." 

"In Mirkwood? That _is _a ways away. Why did you come here?" 

Pherannon shrugged, "That's beside the point. But when I was perhaps a little younger than you, I went out hunting with my father and several of his friends, as well as their sons. It was a large party, and we left with all the pomp and splendor you can imagine. 

"Only a couple days into it, after not having seen but a single spider or two, we decided to split up and maybe find more that way. There was, perhaps, some friendly competition between the different groups, one of the fathers and the other of their sons. The elder seemed to think their experience made them better, while us others claimed youth and vigor made us better." 

"I can guess where this is headed," Emerald smiled. 

"Well, yes, my father and his friends won. But that's not where the real excitement lies. Two days after breaking off, my group decided to take a quick break for supper. While preparations were taking place, since we were all bored with the fruitless hunting, a couple decided to play a round of Blind Man's Bluff. You know the game, yes?" 

Emerald nodded, "Oh, yes. I played it all the time at home." 

"Right. Well, I was selected as the first blind man, so they tied a spare handkerchief around my eyes and set me spinning, then let me go. It was all good and fun, and I thought I was doing pretty well, but my mischievous friends decided to have some fun, and everyone single one of them hopped up into trees and threw rocks down in different places to mislead me." 

"Aw! That's so mean," Emerald laughed. 

"Oh, it gets better. They thought it was funny when I wandered completely away from the clearing, chasing a rabbit or something. So there I am, just wandering around, when I hear something stomping around nearby. Thinking it was one of my friends, I sprint over there and slap him hard, announcing, 'I've got you! You're blind man now.'" Emerald was all ears. 

"Only...it wasn't any of my friends. I yanked the blindfold off, thinking I'd won, only to see that I'd actually wandered right into the middle of an orc camp." Emerald gasped. "Yes. There were about a dozen, I guess, just standing there, giving me the most confused looks." 

Emerald laughed outright at the mental image of a camp full of orcs with confused expressions on their ghastly faces, frozen in place, staring at a young Pherannon. 

"What did you do? They didn't hurt you, did they?" 

"What do you think I did? I took off running in the opposite direction, and the creatures were too startled to chase after me." 

"Then how did you get hurt?" Emerald inquired. 

Pherannon looked away from embarrassment, but continued, "Well, I was too frightened and too busy looking over my shoulder to actually watch where I was going--" 

"Uh oh." 

"--so I ran straight into a tree." Emerald giggled like mad. "Oh, but the fun wasn't over yet. You would have thought I would have just fallen down, but I didn't want to look ungraceful, so I swung myself around the trunk, right into a series of rapids. These rapids ended in a water fall which, yes, I rode to the bottom. I survive it all and dragged myself onto shore, right next to the first giant spider I'd seen the entire trip." 

Emerald was in hysterics, imagining the regal Pherannon flapping his arms as he went over the water fall. 

"I think the spider was more afraid of me than I of it, because it fled immediately. I just lay there for some time before I was able to rouse myself, and then stagger through the woods, soaked and mud-encrusted, covered in cuts and bruises. And that's how Lord Elladin and Lord Elrohir found me, along with the Lady Arwen, looking every bit the dashing young elf." 

Emerald laughed so hard she cried, and it was several minutes before she could calm herself enough to exclaim, "Poor Pherannon! How embarrassed you must have been." 

"Yes. I believe I was a bit embarrassed." 

Emerald felt her heart lightened at the story, and a smile returned to her face, and her arm didn't hurt as badly as it had before. 

"It was a lovely story, but was there a point to you telling it to me?" she asked. "You're hardly the one to do something that's unnecessary," she teased. 

Pherannon grinned wisely, looking at their path ahead, "It made you smile?" 

"Yes. It was a very funny story." 

"If it made you smile, then it was worth telling. Sometimes just for a smile is reason enough." 

Several days had passed, and peace had, for the most part, returned to the travelers. Emerald and Gildas had not spoken again of their argument, but both had just sort of marked it as the past and attempted to move on. Some resentment still hung in the mind of Emerald at her brother's condemnation of everything she had ever dreamed of, but her heart was too gay to let her dwell on the topic, and only when she was alone, deep in thought, did her mind recall the hurtful memory. 

As for their travels, they were getting further and further from home, and despite Emerald's ever-existent hopes of venturing out into the world to seek adventure, she found half of her heart still at home, where her mother and father and eldest brother still resided. 

They'd been in Eregion for some time now, in truth ever since passing Swanfleet, but they hadn't seen the ruins that had been present in Tharbad. There was forest to the right, but the group had stayed traveling along the River Gwathlo, since it was a stable marker of their travels through abandoned lands. All they had endured recently were calm days and nights on grassy plains, with few hills. Indeed, if one looked, even the men could see for miles. 

Emerald trotted up to fall in step beside Nedron, who rode proudly at the head of the company. 

"Yes, Lady Emerald?" 

"You were alive when Eregion was inhabited, right?" 

Nedron nodded, "Aye. I visited the capital city times enough." 

"So you knew the Hollin Elves that lived here?" Nedron nodded. "Why did they leave? I mean, the men at Tharbad left because there was nothing to keep them alive anymore, but this land looks fine." 

"It didn't say in the books you've studied?" 

"No." 

Nedron chuckled, "I've no doubt it's elven scholars trying to save the natives some dignity. Well, see, Eregion was a settlement of elves, mainly Noldor, founded in Second Age 750. 

"They were great smiths, just like their leader Celebrimbor. They made some of the most beautiful things from gold and silver and jewels. And very friendly! See those mountains in the distance over there?" Emerald nodded. "That's Khazad-dum, a home of dwarves. The two were close friends. Eregion's friendliness, and basically lack of caution, though, ultimately led to their downfall." 

"You mean they trusted somebody they shouldn't have?" Emerald inferred. 

"Exactly. The elves of Eregion began receiving envoys from some unknown named Annatar, who would bring gifts and a message from Annatar. He offered simply to teach them how to better their work." 

Emerald made a face, "And they just trusted him?" 

"You're assuming something goes wrong?" 

"Well, it does, doesn't it? Their land is destroyed." 

Nedron nodded, "Yes, but you're using the wonderful power called 'hind-sight.' They couldn't know this was the _last _person they needed to trust. They were innocently friendly and eager to advance their craft. Despite not knowing who this Annatar was, they were curious to learn from the person creating these beautiful gifts for them." 

"So they just accepted the offer," Emerald summarized. 

Nedron shrugged, "They were curious." 

"But there's good curiosity and then there's bad curiosity!" 

"And which was it that wrecked your arm?" Emerald made a face at the reference. Pherannon hid his chuckle, not wanting to offend her further. "The same way your brothers watch over you, both Lord Elrond and Gil-galad admonished them about taking offers from strangers, but their warnings were ignored, and the elves accepted the offer." 

"Still without knowing who Annatar was? We know now, though, don't we?" 

"They didn't know, but we do now. Annatar, meaning Lord of Gifts, was the pseudonym of the dark lord Sauron." 

"Morgoth's servant! He used to be, before changing his loyalties to Morgoth, one of, if not _the_ most powerful Maiar under Lord Aulë," Emerald thought out loud, remembering what she'd learned on Sauron. 

"Well, you know more about that than I do." Nedron continued with his narration, "So Annatar taught them how to make magical rings." 

"The Rings of Power were created?" 

Nedron affirmed, "Yes. And, as we all know, he created his one ring or whatnot, but something about it didn't work. I don't really know much about the Rings of Power, since they've never been much interest to me, though I daresay you can learn a lot once we reach Rivendell, if you wish. Needless to say, Sauron was hotter than fire when he didn't get the control over the Elves he'd planned on. His army rose up and destroyed Eregion, and Celebrimbor was killed." 

"Well that's cheerful." 

"He wasn't the only one to die, but perhaps one of the most important, if that makes sense. The Hollin, as men call them, were lost and leaderless. With no home, they left." 

"Where'd they go?" 

"Who knows? I don't think anyone ever really put much thought to it. I suppose most are in the Halls of Mandos. The remaining probably fled to Rivendell, or Lorien, or into the wild. That's another question for you to ask Lord Elrond." 

"I'll add it to my list," Emerald said honestly. 

"I bet you will," Nedron laughed as she fell back in line to ride aside Alagedh. 

Emerald watched the eaves of the trees suspiciously. She didn't have any reason to be alarmed --the forest wasn't all that scary, really-- but something about the area made her skitterish. In the day, there wasn't anything exceptional about the forest, which wasn't even very thick over here, but at night it seemed to hold some foreboding darkness. 

Novothian handed her a plate of food and followed the direction of her stares. 

"I can understand you unsettlement, Lady," he offered. "It makes me nervous, too." 

"They're just trees. They're nothing to be afraid of," Gildas chided. 

Emerald ignored the spice in his voice and, still staring into the darkness, admitted, "I know...but there's something...off..." 

"It's nothing, Princess," Nedron assured her. "This forest isn't haunted by anything but wild animals. There aren't orcs for miles, or I'd know it. You're safe here." 

"I'm not afraid for my safety," she assured them. "Not with big strong men to protect me." Beside her, Novothian's face turned a deep crimson. 

Tegryn stood and walked just under the eaves of the trees, then shouted into the black, "Is anything out there?" There was no reply except a faint echo carried on by the trees. 

"Tegryn! You're asking for trouble," Hergest warned. Tegryn sat back down, laughing at the nervous ones. 

The sun had already set, and it wasn't long before Mainen and Airelone had a fire going. Supper was eaten, words on the next day shared, and a small prayer lifted to the Valar before people began to settle down for the night. Emerald spread her blanket out between the fire and the forest, partly to show her brothers that she wasn't _scared_ of the forest. She wasn't at all. She just sensed that something was there. 

Emerald had almost drifted off into rest when the slightest of noises caught her attention. She passed it off as nothing at first, and it was distant enough so as not to be of much concern. Yet as time went on, the sound grew louder and closer. When finally Emerald could hear the crackling of leaves and snapping of twigs enough to distinguish the sound as footfalls, she sat up. 

Around the fire, Beven, Alagedh, Tegryn, Hergest, Nedron, Gildas, and Pherannon mimicked her alarmed stance. The men in the group, whose ears were not as sensitive as elves', remained unaware. Airelone and Mainen looked with confusion from elf to elf; Novothian rolled over in his sleep and snored. 

"What is it?" Airelone asked, his hand instinctively inching towards his sword. Nedron rose and calmly drew an arrow, fitting it to his bow. 

"Something's coming," Tegryn whispered. Defensive stances were taken by several more. Emerald, though, stayed on the ground and only sat on her knees, prepared to spring up if need be. The camp was silent and tense as they waited for the creator of the growing sound, and the two men prepared for a danger they were dumb to, and Novothian snored. 

"Get ready," Gildas warned. Everybody watched... 

And then the climatic moment fell as a single wolf ambled through the brush and came to a stop a couple feet out from under the treeline, perhaps twenty feet from where Emerald sat. The men and elves all sighed and, lowering their weapons, laughed at their own paranoia. 

"It's just a wolf," Alagedh shook his head. "All of us got so worked up over a lone wolf!" 

Tegryn defended, "It sounded much bigger than a wolf." 

"I think your elven ears are faulty," Airelone roared with laughed. Amused by the elves' needless anxiety, he sat back down and tossed his sword aside. 

Emerald wasn't so relieved, though. She continued to watch the animal, iridescent under the waxing moon. The yellow eyes surveyed the camp curiously, his mouth hung open to draw in gasping breaths. He hadn't been running, obvious from the slow travel of his footsteps, but the wolf looked exhausted. He noticed Emerald watching, yet refused to look her way, as if avoiding eye contact, the instinctive challenge among animals. After a couple minutes, once the camp had settled down, the wolf walked in a tight circle several times, then lay down. He still watched the travelers, yet seemed unalarmed by their nearness to his home. Unless his home wasn't anywhere close by. 

Emerald noted that he hardly behaved like any wild wolf _she_ had ever come across. Laying out in the open, slowly just wandering into an encampment of strange people with weapons, panting after minimal physical exertion, ears not even mildly pricked up at the sounds a sleeping forest made which usually kept wild animals on their toes. 

"Okay, Emmy. Stop harassing the wolf," Tegryn joked. 

Emerald pulled her eyes from the curiosity and asked, "Are we sure it's a wolf?" 

Gildas chortled, "What else could it be? Not quite big enough to be a bear, no wings like bats, and I'm pretty sure it's not a fish. Sure looks like a wolf to me." Emerald ignored the sarcasm in his voice, yet still wasn't convinced. Across the fire, Beven paid attention to her, but didn't say anything. She' had spent more time observing wild animals than he, or even anyone else in the group most likely had. 

The wolf yawned and closed its eyes; this was the last bit of proof that Emerald needed. No wild wolf would go to sleep next to a bunch of strange people. There was no way instinct would let it close its eyes to a potential danger. _Her_ common sense sure was going crazy. So she gathered her stuff and moved to the other side of the fire between Alagedh and Hergest. 

"Are you all right, Princess Emerald?" Alagedh inquired, though without much concern. 

Emerald wanted to voice her opinion, but Gildas had said it was nothing, and she didn't feel like she was currently in a position to disagree with him. So she merely assured Alagedh she was fine, that the shadows were just a little too creepy, and made herself comfortable. 

Across the fire, the wolf slumbered. 


	9. Chapter 9

When the company awoke the next morning, they found Gildas --who had the current watch-- giving the wild animal some breakfast pieces. The creature stayed close by as they packed up and even tagged along once they'd started moving. Emerald watched the animal suspiciously. 

Riding beside her, Beven questioned, "What exactly do you have against the wolf?" 

"I don't think it's one of my people." Then she remembered that he hadn't heard Váromë speak, but she didn't care to explain. Instead she added, "There's just something...he doesn't act like a normal wolf." 

"That doesn't mean he's not a wolf, though. There have always some exceptions to a race." 

"I know, but...anyway, let's be careful what we say." Beven agreed to this. Emerald looked back at the wolf, which jerked its head to the side at that exact moment. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

It wasn't until a couple days later that Emerald's opinion of mistrust was recognized by everyone. They'd just broken for lunch and Emerald decided to check her book to see if it said anything about the wolf. It hadn't so far, but that didn't mean it wouldn't. 

She glared at the wolf standing a few feet away. He was yawning and pacing as if preparing to lay down, but she knew without a doubt that he was watching her every movement. Under his watchful eye, while she was bent over, pulling the book from her bag, her necklace slipped out from under her dress --the chain with her ring on it. Before she could even react, the wolf had lunged forward and snagged the ring in his teeth. Emerald yelped and toppled backwards, but the wolf had locked his jaw and would not release. Emerald kicked at the beast's ribs and boxed his ears, but still he held on. 

At the attack, the camp broke out in a rush of activity. Pherannon was the first to reach the struggling Princess. In one swift motion, he drew a knife and slit the creatures throat, spilling blood all over Emerald's dress. This random attack wasn't the strangest part of the day, though. That came next. 

The wolf's body fell lifelessly onto Emerald's lap, who quickly shoved it off and let Alagedh pull her to her feet and back a couple of steps. At first the carcass just lay there, but then the form began to writhe around, as if it were seizing. The entire group watched, wide-eyed, as the definite wolf-form melted and molded itself into a definite human-form. The man was undoubtably dead, but to make sure, Mainen shoved the body over with his feet. Long black hair fell over the pale face and the thick black cape shifted, revealing primitive clothing underneath. 

"What the--" 

"Tell me I'm not the only one who just saw that," Tegryn interrupted Alagedh. 

"We all saw it," Nedron assured him. "But curse me if I know what it was." 

Gildas let out a deep sigh and admitted, "Well, it wasn't a wolf, that's for sure. Emerald was right." Somehow that didn't make her feel better. She rubbed her neck where the taut chain and left a mark and stared at the lifeless body. 

Novothian had rushed over, seeing Emerald in peril, and now asked with deep concern, "Are you hurt, milady?" 

"No, I'm all right." She checked quickly to make sure her ring was still in her possession and unharmed. 

"How ever did that thin chain hold up to all that?" Hergest wondered, pointing to the fragile, decorative silver chain around Emerald's neck. 

"The wolf must not have gotten a good grip," Airelone shrugged. 

"Good enough to leave impressions on her neck," Novothian pointed out. 

Tegryn nudged the body with his toe and commented, "This whole ordeal is just pretty strange. What say everyone to moving on?" It was unanimous. 

"Just leave the body," Nedron instructed Emerald, bent over the mysterious creature. She nodded and hid the piece of fabric in her hand. 

They started moving pretty quickly --no one wanted to stick around if the thing came back to life or something. Lunch hadn't been eaten yet, so the group just postponed stopping for a couple miles. This time, no wolf-changing-into-men interrupted the break. 

Emerald used the opportunity to lay the piece of cloth she'd cut off the dead man's cloak on a page in her book. Through the book did a pretty good job of keeping its own account of events, Emerald also added her input now and then. The cloth was roughly cut with her dagger, but it still encompassed what she wanted: the odd cut-out. There were actual holes in the fabric, in a design. She dabbed a piece of her skirt (the dress was already ruined) in ink, then used the cloth as a stencil. She glanced at the painted design left on the page and everything fell together. 

Calmly, she sat down beside Beven and pretended to be innocently writing in her journal. She elbowed her older brother and pointed to where she'd written, 'It was a spy of Sauron.' The design was clearly that of the all-seeing eye of Sauron. 'Maybe he suspects I know something of his ring.' 

Beven took her pen and wrote back, 'It's a good thing we're almost to Rivendell. I don't think you're safe anymore.' 

"Where is everybody?" Emerald asked, looking around the slightly thinning forest from her perch atop Occamy. "I thought we would have seen somebody by now." 

Nedron assured her, "They're here. We're not a threat, though, so we won't be bothered. They've other things to watch for." 

"We'll probably be inside Imladris before we see anybody," Pherannon added. 

Emerald nodded with disappointment. The thought had entered her mind that maybe the elves she'd watched inside her ring for so long were Imladris guards. Forests are as different to elves as cities are to men, though, and this forest did not look the same. Nonetheless, she carefully perused the passing area for any familiar sights. 

The trees continued to grow more spread out, the ground grew rockier, and the gurgling of a river grew louder as they progressed. Though the trip had been long, a new energy pulsed through everyone's veins as their trek came closer and closer to an end. 

"How much longer?" 

Tegryn shook his head, "Not again." 

"Just on the other side of these trees," Alagedh answered. "Just a couple more minutes, Princess." 

Emerald sighed with impatience. She'd waited all her life to see this city, so talked of even in her homeland. To walk the elaborate halls of Lord Elrond's home and see his children and explore in the library. Which reminded her of all the mysteries surrounding the trip, as well as the terrible news she carried. The idea of finally getting answers for all of her questions was reason enough for anticipation. 

And then, there it was, nestled below them beside the busy River Bruinen. Emerald, along with the others in her company, stopped to just admire the Homely House below them, the goal of a tiresome journey. 

Hergest was the one to break the silence, asking in an uncertain tone, "How exactly are we going to get down there?" 

"What are you sitting on?" Tegryn returned teasingly. 

"A blank-- oh! A horse. That's not what I mean!" 

"It _is_ pretty steep," Emerald acknowledged. She dismounted Occamy and walked closer to the crumbly edge. Alagedh instinctively followed her, arm ready to shoot out and grab her if things went wrong. 

Mainen, unafraid, stood on her other side, "Is there a path?" He picked up a stone and tossed it over the edge. It was a very long way down. 

"There are two paths," Beven answered, looking around. "Unfortunately, I know of only one." 

Novothian frowned at the dirt walkway that disappeared over the edge and questioned, "Haven't you been here before?" Remembering he was talking to royalty, he hastily tacked on, "Milord." 

"Once, when I was younger than Emerald, but I don't remember the good road." 

"Auryn was the one who visited here often," Gildas added. 

"In other words," Novothian translated, "that there is our path." He motioned to the steep, unstable walkway. 

Emerald walked over to it and looked down. Their designated path moved in a giant curve, though a little too shallow for everyone's taste, to the left and back, so that they'd end up almost directly beneath where they started. The slant was steep, as well. Perhaps too steep. 

"I'm not sure the horses can handle it," Airelone debated. 

"I'm not sure _I_ can handle," Mainen chuckled. 

Emerald shook her head, "People have been doing this since forever." 

"Maybe they took the good path," Alagedh muttered. 

"No, no. Don't think like that," Emerald chided. Ignoring their doubtful grumbling, she quickly mounted Occamy and forced him towards the top of the path. Occamy was obviously not eager, but he was a faithful beast of burden and determined to obey his mistress. 

"Emerald! What in the world are you doing?" Beven cried out, mentally seeing her trip and plummet down the incline to her death. 

With an impish smile, she waved, "See you at the bottom, boys." Occamy jumped slightly and was clearly nervous, but he did as instructed. The first couple steps were slippery and Occamy slid, but then he got into a sort of trot and seemed to be doing all right. Stopping, however, would be a problem. 

The further down they got, the faster Occamy got going, so that Emerald began to worry about the horse breaking a leg. She pulled back on the reigns, which startled Occamy, but he obeyed and planted his feet. Still, they kept sliding. 

Emerald looked over her shoulder. Tegryn was the closest to her, noticed what she was doing, and copied. This was repeated on down the line until they'd all slid to stops on the steep grade. 

"What's wrong?" Alagedh called down. 

"We need to slow down! If we go too fast we'll lost control." 

She heard Hergest mumble, "_Now_ she wants to take it slow, now that we're standing on peril." 

Emerald allowed Occamy to take a step, but he stumbled slightly, so she dismounted. Keeping a firm hold on his ropes, she began leading Occamy, as well as those behind her. The going was extremely slow, and Emerald knew there had to be a better way, but this was working, and she would rather everyone get down safely but tardy than quickly but maimed. 

Being at the head, she was the first to reach the ground and quickly moved out of the way so everyone else could follow. 

"Are we all here?" Nedron asked, glancing around the group. Emerald felt very proud of herself that she'd led a group of men --men that saw her as little more than a precious plaything-- through a possible danger. 

"Yes, we all-- wait. Where's Gildas?" Tegryn asked. Wherever he was, it was definitely not with them. 

It was Mainen who spotted him, pointing at the slope and saying, "Oh, no." Every head jerked towards the curve to see Gildas, still pretty close to the top, his horse racing downwards. 

"He's going too fast," Emerald gasped. "Cainfen's legs are going to buckle if he doesn't slow down." 

Pherannon shook his head, "I think he's beyond slowing down now." Emerald bit her lip. There had to be something she could do. If nobody did anything, Gildas' horse Cainfen was going to trip and both would slide over the edge, and it was highly unlikely that Lord Elrond would be able to heal _that_. 

Never one for carefully planning out each step, nor, you know, actually thinking her actions through, Emerald took off running for the path. At first everyone just sort of gawked at her, not sure what exactly she was thinking. 

"Emerald! What are you doing?" Beven yelled at her. 

She called over her shoulder, "Wait for us!" and kept running. Racing up a steep slope in a dress and boots, with sand and pebbles sliding around under her feet, was probably one of the most difficult things she'd ever done. Sort of like the time Tegryn had dared her to climb a tree without using her arms. But she was determined to save her brother. 

Gildas and Cainfen were fast approaching, and she commenced to screaming while she ran, "Slow down! Stop! Slow!" which was quite difficult. Gildas seemed to have heard her, though, and jerked on the reigns. Cainfen planted his feet and continued to slide, but they'd been going too fast originally and Gildas couldn't control their new motion. They were sliding way to close to the edge! 

Emerald waited until they were right beside each other, placing herself between Gildas and the edge, and shoved with all her weight and might against the bulk of horse and elf. This had two consequences. 

First, it succeeded in pushing the two over, so that they slide on their side a couple feet before coming a stop. Gildas was able to pull himself up, unharmed except for a slight rip in his tunic, and Cainfen was just extremely confused. The second consequence, though, was that Emerald herself fell backwards off the path. Her skirt wrapped around her feet, keeping her body constricted as she slid like a rock down the dirt grade. 

Luckily, it seemed the Valar were out to keep Emerald alive for the moment. She hadn't been all that high up previous to falling and so only slid for a minute or two (which, nonetheless, is an eternity when you're sliding head-first down a steep slope.) Lucky, too, that the slope wasn't as steep and didn't end in suddenly flat ground, so that, upon hitting the ground, her entire body came to a hard 'slam' rather than just her head and neck coming to a hard 'snap.' 

Seeing her go over the edge, Gildas had jumped after her, somehow finding himself on an even less-steep slope so that he was basically able to run, albeit out-of-control, down most of his slope until falling backwards and sliding the last couple yards on his rear end. The rest of the group, seeing all the excitement, had dropped their horses and packs and sprinted over, ready entirely to see a maimed prince and princess. 

Gildas was up first, ignoring the hole in the back of his leggings, hunched over Emerald. 

"Emmy! Emmy, are you all right? Emmy, you--" he worried, turning her as to maybe better her airflow or wipe the dirt out of her nose or something. Upon doing this, though, he found his younger sister laughing hysterically. "Emerald--" 

"That was so much fun!" she laughed, dizzily pushing herself into a sitting position. "I can't believe I survived that!" 

Pherannon shook his head, "If anybody ever says the girl's not optimistic..." 

"Optimistic! Try lucky," Airelone argued. 

"And foolish," Gildas added. He looked hard at Emerald for a moment, then his features softened. "Foolishness which no doubt saved my life. Thank you, Emerald." 

Emerald nodded, "Anytime, Gildas. Anytime. Only, you might want to do something about your backside--" Gildas reached around, then took off like lightening for the horses. Emerald fell back again and kicked her feet in the air, laughing so hard. 

"All right, come on, Princess," Nedron ordered, gently helping her up. "A little farther and I can honestly wipe my hands clean of the next jeopardizing action you decide to partake in." 

As they returned to the horses, Novothian quizzed Emerald on her health, and anxiously pointed to her elbow, "Lady Emerald, I do believe you've scraped your elbow." Emerald looked where, as he'd said, blood seeped around her scratched-up arm –now both her arms were injured. 

With a laugh, Emerald reminded him, "Well, I'm not _totally_ invincible!" 


	10. Chapter 10

It wasn't until the a couple days later that Emerald got a chance to speak one-on-one with Lord Elrond. She, Tegryn, and Hergest were walking around in the garden a little after lunch, admiring the wide array of autumn blossoms. It was there that they ran into Lord Elrond, waiting patiently beside a particularly lovely display of purple and orange plants. 

"Good afternoon, Tegryn, Hergest. Ah, Lady Emerald. Rumour has it you would have a word with me?" he greeted them. 

Emerald nodded, "Yes, sir. Quite a few, actually." 

"Then we'd best get started," Elrond grinned. To Tegryn and Hergest, he said, "If you two would allow me to steal Lady Emerald." He then offered her his arm and commenced to leading her back into his home. 

"Now, about these questions--" 

"I don't even know where to begin," she interrupted. Elrond opened the door into the library and guided her to a seat. On the table was her bag, along with Beven's papers; her older brother had no doubt placed it all there. 

Elrond sat down beside her and prompted, "Is there a beginning?" 

"Not really...Well, when I saw my first sign, I guess," Emerald suggested. 

"And when was this?" 

"A long time ago when I was very small. Me, Tegryn, and Hergest found this puddle of _stuff_ in my room. It just looked like water, except it turned gold when I touched it. It didn't react to them at all. So I put some of my blood in it." 

"And you did this because..." Elrond grappled. 

"Tegryn told me to. When my blood went in, it started doing weird things. I wrote it all down," she opened the book and pulled out the papers she'd copied from her diary. "First we saw a leaf, then a statue, a skeleton hand, and then an emerald ring." 

Elrond was listening intently and asked, "Have you figured out what the meaning of all that was?" 

"Well, the emerald ring looked like it was really there, so I reached in and pulled it out. The water turned green, then red, and then this ugly face looked like it jumped out at us. Beven says it was probably an orc." 

"Do you still have the ring?" Emerald pulled the chain over her head and dropped it in his outstretched hand. He carefully looked it over. 

"Nobody has ever believed me, but I can see things in it." 

"What sorts of things?" 

"A forest a lot of the time, though I don't know what forest. Sometimes it's a different forest, or a city, or various other places." 

"I do not see anything," Elrond admitted. 

"I'm the only one. And I don't know if what I'm seeing is past, present, future, or even real at all. A couple of months ago, I saw two battles. One was in the forest I see so much, and the other was some city of men. They were under attack by orcs, I think." 

Elrond looked up at her sharply and inquired, "What day exactly?" 

She looked in the book, "20 Lairë." 

"Then the forest you see is that of Mirkwood and the city of men was in Gondor. Both were attacked by orcs on that day." So the ring showed her the present. "That is my guess." He asked her about the book. 

"My mother gave it to me," she answered and related the story of its discovery. She shoved it towards him and he quickly skimmed through, raising an eyebrow at the newly added page on himself. 

"How is this information added?" 

Emerald shrugged, "They just appear. It's always showed only histories, and sometimes events will disappear, or pop up in the middle, except when I left to come here. It said that what day I left on before we were even sure about coming." 

"That was how you knew to come here?" 

"No. Me and Beven had already figured that out." 

"Oh?" 

"You see, I've been having these dreams," Emerald went on to explain. "And in one of them, I saw you and this man recited a poem." She showed him where the Imladris poem was written down. "Have you heard it?" 

"No, but it's meaning is no stranger to me," Elrond admitted. 

"It has to do with Sauron's Ring," Emerald said for him. 

Elrond's head jerked up at the reference and he asked as calmly but as seriously as he could, "What do you know of such things?" 

"More than I'd wish," Emerald laughed. "I know about its creation and Middle-Earth's fight with Sauron." All this was common knowledge; Elrond was not concerned. "I know that Isildur took the Ring and would not destroy it. Beven found that part in our library somewhere." Still not too alarming. "And I know that Sauron is threatening Middle-Earth again." At this, however, Elrond had to work to keep the shock off his face. 

"How did you come by this?" 

"Well I wasn't sure until now," Emerald admitted. Elrond shook his head, amused at her slyness. "So what are you going to do about it?" 

Elrond avoided her question, instead bringing up, "About these dreams." 

"Well, if they're really telling me the future, you had better get ready for a bunch of people." She shoved the dream papers towards him, which he silently read over. 

"The people present at this council. Do you know them?" 

Emerald shrugged, "You were there. A couple men, one of whom I met a long time ago. He visited my kingdom. Dwarves and Elves, I guess. I've never really been able to recognize who all was there." 

"And you say the One Ring was present?" 

Emerald nodded, "Yes. I put it on and usually it fell off, but the last time it fit and...well, you read." Elrond skimmed over the last couple lines again. 

"These four lines: I said them to you?" 

"Yes. There was more, but I don't remember it." 

Elrond kept looking from the book to the ring to the dream papers, but urged, "Do you have more questions?" 

"Just a little before we arrived here, this animal that seemed like a wolf started following us, but I was the only one who realized it wasn't really a wolf. It finally lunged at my throat. I think it may have thought I had Sauron's Ring. It tried to get the ring I wear around my neck." 

"What did you do?" 

"Pherannon killed it, and then it did all this gross changing and turned into a man –extremely gross. Then I noticed this strange marking on his cloak." She flipped through the book to where she'd stenciled the design in. 

Elrond was not surprised by any of this and explained, "Sauron's spies. It's the eye of Sauron. He's used werewolves before." 

"So Sauron thinks I have his ring?" 

"Or at least are somehow conncected to it," Elrond agreed. 

"Which meants that he _doesn't_ have the ring. But it's coming here." 

"Is it?" 

"Yes," Emerald confirmed. "I'm sure of it. The One Ring is coming here, Sauron's looking for it, and we're going to have a big meeting about it." 

"Let me ask you something, Lady Emerald. You said you knew the wolf wasn't an actual wolf. How?" 

Emerald shrugged, "It wasn't one of my-- I mean that it didn't act like a normal wolf." She suddenly didn't feel like sharing her meeting with Vàromë with him, nor her dear oliphaunts, nor various other odd things that had occurred during her travels. 

"It's a very difficult thing to tell a friend from a foe," Elrond observed. "A rare talent." 

"It's not so much a talent as looking with more than your eyes. Even Elven eyes don't catch everything," she replied. Elrond studied her closely for a moment during which she looked directly back at him, not faltering even a tiny bit under his intense scrutiny. 

"I think that there is more than you are telling me," he finally concluded. "But that's all right. I trust that you will tell me when the time comes. When that time is, I do not know, but perhaps you do. I fear you're growing wiser than I," he chuckled. 

Emerald laughed and shook her head, "If I know anything of importance, you'll know it, too." 

"That's all I ask," he assured her. Rising from his seat, he finished, "Now, if you have nothing else to ask of me, I have other things I must see to. Such as food for this party you're planning at my house." Emerald giggled and stood also, collecting everything back into her bag. Before he left, Elrond added, "And remember, Lady Emerald: if there's anything you need to say, even if it's of no importance, or if nobody will listen, my ears are always open." 

"Thank you, Lord Elrond," she smiled. He nodded to her, then left the room. 

"Emerald." Emerald looked up at her name and gave a sweet smile as the Lady Arwen came down the steps into the garden, her hands dangling gracefully by her sides. "I thought I might find you here." 

Emerald nodded, "It's one of my most favorite places." 

"And you discovered it all on your own. I fear I am not so talented as my brothers in showing someone like yourself the proper places of Rivendell," Arwen mused, sitting down on the bench beside which Emerald crouched and casting an amused grin at the younger girl. 

"By proper you mean...?" 

Arwen replied, "Places here that might interest you the most. I have lived mostly in Lothlorien myself, but I did promise to show you my hiding place here." Emerald nodded and stood. 

It had been almost three weeks now since her arrival at Rivendell and she had made quick acquaintances with Arwen very much at Gildas' prodding who himself thought the calmer, more lady-like lady would probably do Emerald well. Gildas himself couldn't stand to be anywhere near Arwen who Emerald thought he might have a secret crush on, and likewise Tegryn could suffer her presence only for a second without turning pink in the face and fumbling over his words. Hergest seemed unaffected by Arwen except to casually agree she was very beautiful, and Beven as well didn't seem to suffer in her presence, though he didn't see her much anyways since most of his time was spent either in the library or in company with Lord Elrond, Glorfindel, or a few others he had become acquainted with. 

As for Emerald, she divided her time in all different places: spending time with Lady Arwen or Alagedh or Tegryn and Hergest mostly, but also making acquaintance with other Elves in the Rivendell who in her found a rapt audience for anything and everything they felt the burden of sharing. Though Elrond was most often occupied by some errand or other, Emerald had managed to get him to herself once again, though only to answer a couple questions for him that really told him nothing. The time she was alone was spent exploring the House and the surrounding grounds or venturing so far as the ford, though any further earned her sharp berating from Gildas and Beven. Fortunately, should she desire to go out again, Novothian and Airelone both (not to mention Alagedh) were more than eager to accompany her. Nedron, Mainen, and Pherannon had left after two weeks to make the trip home, and Gildas had opted not to join them though that had been his original intent. Whether this had anything to do with Arwen or was just his desire to stay near his younger sister as he learned more about just how involved she was with whatever might be to come was unclear. Emerald appreciated his decision, though, just like she appreciated the continued presence of Tegryn, Hergest, Beven, Alagedh, Airelone, and Novothian. 

The dreams had stopped. Nothing new had been added to the book, not even the biographies of people as she met them. She didn't see any more signs or hear from any strange people. And while this would have been a relief to most young Elves, it made Emerald anxious. It felt to her like the calm before the storm. And ironically, the less the world seemed to be pressing all these omens on her, the more she thought about them until, almost ready to go crazy with curiosity and frustration and anxiety, she had banned herself from the library. 

Now she walked alongside Arwen, arm in arm, smiling as Arwen chattered away about some tale Gildas had been persuaded to regale. A sudden question came to Emerald's mind, one that she hadn't worried on for years, and, stopping to think and thus gaining Arwen's silent attention, she ventured, "Arwen, are we meant only to marry?" 

"I beg pardon?" 

"You and I. Ladies. Are we meant just to marry and have children and carry on lines?" 

"That is an important role," Arwen replied, though her usually tranquil face took on a momentary displeasure. 

Emerald noted this and encouraged, "But?" 

"It's a dreadful foretelling, though, isn't it? To think that we are valuable only as the bearers of those who will be great, only as the comforting wives of those that _are_ great." 

Arwen turned a corner and tugged Emerald along who, thinking on this a moment, asked, "Then you refuse that destiny?" 

"No, not I," Arwen laughed, shaking her head, though Emerald felt there was a much deeper meaning behind the roses that crept to her cheeks. 

"Because you love someone? You don't have to tell me who," Emerald quickly assured her as Arwen started. "But that's why, isn't it? You love someone and so marrying doesn't seem so terrible. Being a wife doesn't seem so horrible." 

Arwen gave her a suspicious look as though she were seeing things in Emerald she had never thought to see, then nodded, "Yes. But it isn't that simple. Love complicates things. Marriage is simple, but love makes them complex." 

"Maybe it's the world that makes it complicated, not love," Emerald shrugged innocently, and Arwen couldn't help but assume the younger girl knew more than she should, though Emerald was honest in her innocence. "But whatever the case, I envy you that you've found contentment in your fate." 

"Are you assuming that your fate is identical to mine, or are you questioning it? I pray that your fate is not mine, and I doubt very much that it is." 

Emerald couldn't understand why Arwen would wish to keep her from loving someone enough to be happy with the inevitable, and asked, "Why?" 

"Why do I pray for you? As I told you, love is complicated. Why do I doubt your fate is not the same as mine? You and I are very different, Emerald." 

"We are both princesses," Emerald argued. "That's all anybody cares about." 

Arwen shook her head, "I am not like you, Emerald. I'm not restless. I'm not ambitious. I'm not curious or anxious to do something great. Don't turn your face, I know you are. You're a dreamer of many great dreams while I am a dreamer of but one. I'm not a thinker as you are, but neither am I a do-er as you are. Thus far, I have always been content to do as I am told and accept what I am told, whereas you make your own path daily." 

"I'm a trouble-maker, stubborn, headstrong, uncontrollable, and spoiled," Emerald laughed. 

Arwen stopped and kissed her forehead, "And that is why my fate will not be yours. You were born to be great, Emerald, not the mother or wife of someone great. You and I are both princesses, but the similarity stops there. We are as of different races, yours one never before seen in Arda, I don't believe. You are a race apart, and I fear this will bring you great sorrow... but I pray not." Emerald looked at Arwen with more admiration than she had ever given anyone before, and she couldn't help but feel as though Arwen were selling herself short. She, too, was a race apart. 

"But you really don't think I'm destined to just marry for politic's sake and melt into nothing more than–" 

"No, may the Valar protect you, I don't. So don't worry any more on it. Now look here, this is my hiding place. See, if you can slip into this little nook unnoticed, then you have a clear view..." 

Long after Arwen had retreated in doors at her father's summons shortly before supper, Emerald remained sitting outside on the low wall surrounding one of the House's many porches, her legs dangling over the edge as she looked down the sudden drop. If she were to just lose her balance and fall... whatever "great things" she was destined for would be wasted, that was for sure. It was a long way down, and she doubted even Lord Elrond would be able to help her after that. She couldn't help thinking about Arwen's predictions, undecided whether she liked them or not. The idea of doing great things was exciting, but Arwen had said it almost as if the words left a bitter taste in her mouth, as if that sort of thing couldn't be less appealing. Emerald tried to chalk it up to their vast differences, but she couldn't help but worry that the great things Arwen foresaw for her probably included great sacrifice, perhaps the ultimate sacrifice. Was she really that strong? Was that really what she wanted? 

"There you are." Emerald looked up and over her shoulder as Alagedh stepped onto the porch, a smile on his face and a beautiful white flower clasped in his hand. "Lady Arwen told me I might find you here. Look! Remember you used to tell me about a type of lily that grows only in a few locations? I've found one, haven't I?" He held it out to her like a child seeking approval, and Emerald took it from him with a forced smile. 

"Yes, you have," she nodded. "They're called broken heart lilies. Because if you look at them from the bottom, the center of the petals looks like a heart," she explained, holding it out so they could see this. "But if you look from the top, the heart's been broken." She moved it down where the flower's white center indeed made the heart look broken. "It's beautiful." 

"I thought you might like it," he nodded, then watched her closely as she looked down at the flower and back out at the dense trees ahead of her. "Are you... are you okay, Emerald?" 

"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine," she nodded distantly. "Just thinking." 

"About what?" he asked, and the way in which he asked it was different than Emerald could ever remember him speaking to her. She couldn't quite put her thumb on what was different, but perhaps the change in him was only brought on by her current depression. 

She shrugged, "I don't know. Just... I just feels like things are about to take a dive off the deep end, you know? This is just the calm before the storm, I think, and I'm not sure I'm ready. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready..." 

"Ready for what?" he asked, gracefully stepping onto the ledge and sitting beside her. He knew very little about what she was involved with. 

She shrugged again, "I don't know. I just think things are about to get very... very hard, and I'm not sure I'm... I don't know." She looked over at him, laughing at herself. "I'm not making sense. Arwen thinks I'm meant to do great things, but I just don't think I'm good enough to do great things..." 

"You've always been more than good enough," Alagedh spit out, then cleared his throat as he realized he has replied quicker and more honestly than he meant. "You don't need to worry, Princess. I've known you long enough to know that nothing is impossible for you." 

"I hope you're right," Emerald sighed, giving him a sweet smile. 

He nodded, "I'm always right," which made her laugh, her thoughtful depression broken. 

"Then I suppose I'll just have to trust you." 

"Always trust me," he agreed, though it sounded more like maybe a command or a reminder. "Like now when I tell you supper is prepared. I've been sent to get you. And, if you've got no objections, it has been suggested that you dedicate a little time to learning to use a sword. If you've no objections, I can work with you a bit tomorrow..." 

"Are you not leaving in the morning with Novothian and Airelone?" 

"I think it's better if I stay here," he answered vaguely. 

"Then I would very much appreciate your help, just as I would very much appreciate some food right now. Let's go or Gildas is going to scold me for being late –_again_." She stood up on the ledge with ease and jumped down, landing lightly on her feet, once again seeming the carefree, innocent Emerald. Her thoughts hadn't disappeared, but they had successfully retreated for the time being, and when Alagedh rose to walk with her, she started chatting off more information about the bleeding heart lily. 


	11. Chapter 11

The next day after lunch, Emerald followed Gildas and Alagedh to a flat land a short distance from the city of Imladris, Hergest, Beven, Tegryn, and Arwen following behind her. As Gildas and Alagedh did their best to instruct Emerald in the art of killing, while Beven and Arwen lounged and observed and Hergest wailed that Emerald need not learn to fight because she shouldn't be involved in a fight anyways, and as Tegryn laughed that she was making it too pretty, the dark world that Emerald had found herself thrust into seemed to momentarily recede. As Gildas tried to explain that the rules of sword dancing didn't apply in a fight, it felt almost like they were all back at home spending a nice afternoon outside playing around like they used to. When Emerald doubled over with laughter because Alagedh has told her a specific move wouldn't work and then she managed to whip her blade to his throat with it, she completely forgot all about rings and dark lords and ominous signs. For the first time in a while, she forgot entirely about growing up or being brave or doing anything great and was once again just Emerald of Arathilian, the funny, sweet, carefree youngest child of King Orwig and Queen Lilwen. It was a good feeling and Emerald wondered if she wouldn't rather just forget everything she knew and run back home to bury her face in her mother's skirts like she used to and go back to being an obnoxious, overly-curious, reckless little girl. 

But it's impossible to forget. Emerald was reminded of this terrible truth when, after she had effectively blocked several blows from Gildas, he cautiously praised, "Good, but attackers don't come one at a time. You're going to need to be able to block several at once..." and then trailed off, everyone suddenly growing still and quiet as his words hung awkwardly in the air. Emerald suddenly wondered just who had suggested she work on her swords skills and why, and a nagging fear that somebody here thought she would soon be in a position to need to be able to defend herself frightened her more than she had ever been frightened before. What, she was suddenly risking her life just because of a few dreams and a couple odd happenings around her? The desire to run home welled up even greater in her greater than ever before. It was like everyone here had already agreed that she would soon be venturing far beyond their protection but nobody was ready to speak it yet, and Emerald wondered just when all this had been decided and why she hadn't been let in on any of it. Who said she was going head-first into danger? At the moment, she was inclined to just run and spill everything to Elrond and then beg Beven and Gildas to take her home, far away from these out-of-control problems. 

"Right," Alagedh nodded, breaking the silence awkwardly –but no word would have fit smoothly in that fragile atmosphere. "Well, it's always good to have more skills than less, right? So if he's coming at you from behind and I'm right here, then–" 

Emerald was about to throw down the sword that suddenly felt even more clumsy in her hand when the distant sound of pounding hooves once again brought silence to everyone in the clearing. Instinctively, the men stood and hands went to sword or dagger hilts and Alagedh and Gildas both slowly crept to stand between Emerald and Arwen and whatever friend or foe might be racing towards them at such speed. Emerald shared a nervous glance with Arwen, then clutched the sword to her chest –though it wouldn't do her much good there! 

Fortunately, the rider presented no threat. When he, a young Elf garbed in dark greens and browns, broke through the tree line at the far end of the clearing, Beven raised his arm and called out, "Hey there! Woah!" Emerald didn't think the rider was going to stop, but he did, reigning his horse in only a few feet away from her and Alagedh. His hair was windblown, but otherwise he didn't look at all like he had just been riding so hard. 

"Hello! Do you need help?" Beven asked, taking a step forward to address the rider. 

The rider glanced at each member of the party closely as if trying to decide whether to trust them or not, whether he should take off, and this brought a smile to Emerald's face. Letting the sword fall so that the tip rested against the ground, she answered for him before he had yet gotten around to noticing her, "You're here to see Lord Elrond." His blue eyes darted to her and narrowed suspiciously after a momentary surprise. 

"Is Lord Elrond expecting me?" he ventured carefully. 

Her smile widened as she turned to Beven and simply stated, "It's started." 

"What's started?" Hergest asked, standing up now that the threat was proven non-existent. 

Emerald didn't answer and Beven didn't answer, but Arwen took it upon herself to address the traveler, "What is your business with Lord Elrond?" 

"My respects, lady, but I am to speak to Lord Elrond alone." 

Arwen raised herself slightly taller and replied serenely, "I am Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond. If you have come with urgency, I have no doubt my father would concede a meeting. I will take you to him, if you'll give me leave, Lady Emerald?" Emerald thought Arwen was probably just teasing her, since earlier that morning Arwen had teasingly asked Emerald's permission to join them on their little outing. However, the traveler looked at Emerald with a sense of admiration that the daughter of Lord Elrond would be asking her permission. 

Emerald turned to Gildas and asked, "Actually, might we be finished for now? I can practice on my own back in the city and we can work more tomorrow." 

"Are you exhausted already?" Alagedh teased, attention quickly turning from the traveler to Emerald. 

Emerald laughed, "Entirely! I'm afraid I wasn't born to fight. I'm finished making war for the day." She could feel the rider's eyes on her as she gathered the cast-aside sheath from beside Hergest and slid the sword in, then handed it to Alagedh and waited for Beven to bring her and Arwen's horses over to them, but she was too busy mentally considering whether it would be better to spy on the rider's conversation with Elrond or just ask afterwards and trust Elrond to tell her everything. 

Once she was atop Occamy, she waited impatiently for the rest of the party to do the same, laughing as Alagedh pretended to be exhausted from trying to teach her. The party returned to the House of Elrond without much chatter since the stranger added a shade of awkwardness to the atmosphere. Emerald felt like her giggles were out of place, but trying to stifle them only made the need to laugh even stronger until finally, as everyone entered the stables, Emerald leaned forward and released. 

"Ah, Emmy, you never could handle forced silence," Beven chuckled, jumping down from his horse and taking the reigns of hers to lead it a little further in. 

Emerald shook her head, "Not on such a beautiful day as this," and her laughter made Beven glad. While others might think that her situation called for seriousness, he felt that the deeper she got involved, the lighter her heart need be if she was going to be all right at the end of things. 

Arwen motioned to the traveler who had continued to silently observe them all with an amused half-grin, "Come, I will take you to my father." 

Emerald watched with the others as they left the stables, then she grinned mischievously and announced, "I'm going to go wash up for supper," and ran out before anyone could question that supper wasn't for several hours still. 

Obviously Emerald wasn't headed to her room. Instead she ran ahead of Arwen and the traveler to find Elrond on her own –as she had guessed, he stood gazing out a window in library. 

"Ah, Lady Emerald, returned from your swordsmanship lesson?" he asked, not turning around. 

She replied, "Yes... actually, we cut it short because someone's come to see you." 

"Oh? Who?" he inquired, turning to look at her this time. 

She shrugged, "I don't know. But I think he's just the first one to come here like I told you. Remember?" 

"Of course I remember." 

"Well, good. Will you tell me if he says anything important?" she asked. Elrond's face didn't falter as he assured her he would, then she quickly made her exit. When the traveler had come and gone, ushered to a guest room by one of the servants, Emerald crept back in and inquired, "Well? Did he have anything important to say?" 

Lord Elrond gave her a small grin, "No, Lady Emerald, nothing of importance. He came as a messenger from Mirkwood. Just kingdom affairs. You understand that, don't you?" 

"Of course I do," she nodded and, since he had nothing to tell her, she turned and left. However, what he _hadn't_ shared with her made what she had overheard as she admired flowers outside the window interesting. A creature, Gollum, had been entrusted to the guards in Mirkwood to keep captive. He had escaped –during the very attack Emerald had watched in her ring, it seemed– and after a long but futile pursuit, the traveler had been dispatched to carry this message to Elrond. Elrond didn't seem too concerned, and the traveler seemed disturbed only by the fact that they had failed in their assignment –Gollum didn't appear to be of much importance to anyone, which begged the question why they had been ordered to hold it captive in the first place. If this news wasn't important, why hadn't Elrond shared it with her? Perhaps because he didn't view it as worth mentioning, but what else did he not think worth mentioning? 

Emerald sighed and shook her head. Any hopes she had for not getting involved had been dashed as renewed curiosity and determination welled up inside her. She turned and was wandering along one of the terraces, her mind turning over what she had heard, dissecting it to find any important whatsoever, when who should she stumble across but one very relaxed Bilbo Baggins lounging on a bench, his eyes staring distantly at the sky as if focused on some far reaching dream. He didn't notice her until she had sat down beside her and clasped her hands in her lap with a weary sigh. 

"My dear Lady Emerald, why the sighs? Surely one as sweet as yourself isn't making herself entertain any sad thoughts," he smiled, reaching out to pat her arm. 

Emerald smiled back and shook her head, "No, I'm only frustrated, Father Bilbo." The title she had bestowed upon him shortly after meeting him always made the old hobbit grin proudly. 

"And what are you frustrated with?" 

"I have heard a name of a creature just now and I don't know where to place it, nor where to look, nor if it's even of any importance." 

"You heard a name just now? And just where did you hear a name? I do believe, my dear, that you have been listening in on conversations –not that I can blame anyone for _that_, for I myself was quite an eavesdropper in my day. You hear quite interesting things, I must say, I must say. And what name have you just heard?" 

"Gollum," Emerald answered. "Should that be familiar to me?" As soon as the name was on her lips, Bilbo's face took on a strange appearance, a mixture of surprise and nostalgia and longing followed immediately by a sorrowful moan. "Oh, Bilbo! Have I said something?" Emerald cried with alarm, putting her arm around Bilbo's shoulders. 

Bilbo waved his hand in the air, "It is only that the name stirs up thoughts I try not to think, memories I've tried to forget." 

"That name is familiar to you? Well tell me that I might help you forget!" Emerald begged, turning to face him better and moving her arm down to hold his hand. 

Bilbo sighed, "You know not what you ask of me, but I shall tell you, my dear. But just once, so glean what you can." He settled back on the bench and Emerald did likewise, though leaning forward, as Bilbo recounted for her some adventure of his she had not yet heard –that of his happening upon a ring in a cave, his battle of riddles with the very creature Emerald has just heard discussed so that Bilbo might steal the ring away from him, even how he had disappeared from his most recent birthday party to escape here. Emerald listened to all this with incredulous excitement. It was right here! Connecting the dots to the most logical points, the ring Bilbo had taken from Gollum (who he explained used to be called Smeagol) was obviously the One Ring. It had to be. The timing was perfect, and why else would Gollum suddenly be of importance? Only because Sauron was threatening Middle Earth again and wanted his ring back. And here it was, right here under her very nose all along! 

Emerald smiled and asked, "Do you have it with you? Can I see it?" 

Bilbo looked up at her with surprise and warned, "You sound as eager as I to see it, but no, alas, I've left it to my nephew Frodo along with all my other things." 

"What do you mean you've left it to him?" 

"When I left, I gave everything to him." 

Emerald's eyes widened as she asked anxiously, "So your nephew Frodo has your ring? Where is he?" 

"Why, in Hobbiton, of course, in the Shire." 

Emerald's breath caught in her throat as she leapt up, "Oh, thank you, Father Bilbo! I've got to go... go talk to someone!" She turned and sprinted away as he called a farewell after her and seconds later arrived in the library where Elrond was still standing, staring out the window as if he had nothing better to do. 

When she burst in, he looked over at her with part concern, part surprise and inquired, "Has a fire started?" 

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "No, worse, or better, I don't know which. I know where Sauron's ring is." 

"Do you?" he asked calmly. 

"Yes! Bilbo's nephew has it in the Shire. He's... he's not safe with it! I'm sure Sauron will find it there, and–" 

"I thought you told me the ring was on its way here?" Elrond cut her off. He wasn't being rude or critical, though, but rather trying to remind herself of something she had already established. 

Emerald sighed, "I know, but it's not, I don't think. I mean, Bilbo didn't know what it was, so his nephew probably doesn't, and... but it is, isn't it? Bilbo's ring is the One Ring." 

Elrond looked at her closely for a moment, as if unsure whether to take her into confidence or not, then, with a quick shake of his head, replied, "Do not speak of this with anyone, do you understand? Not Arwen, not Beven, not anyone. The time will come for it to be revealed, but that is not right now." 

"Okay, I promise." 

"Gandalf believes the rings are one in the same, yes." 

"Then we need to get it here, right? Or somewhere... I don't know... we need to destroy it. How do you destroy it? Throw it into the volcano Sauron made it in or something?" 

Lord Elrond mused, "That is the only way to destroy it, yes. But relax, Lady Emerald. You are worried over nothing. You were right when you said the ring is on its way here." 

"I was? How long have you known that?" 

"Gandalf shared these things with me before you arrived here. Frodo should be arriving with the ring soon." 

Emerald sighed and collapsed into a nearby chair, "Well that's a relief. Then we can take it to that mountain it was made in, toss it in, and be done with it." 

"You make it sound quite simple, Lady Emerald." 

"Well that's just my idea," she shrugged. "Of course, there's probably a lot you still aren't telling me, such as why Gollum was being held captive." 

"That is a question for you to pose to Gandalf, who too shall be here soon and will be quite interested to see you again. It has been many years, I believe?" 

"Gandalf? Yes, a long, _long_ time. Is he wrapped up in all of this too?" 

"Who isn't?" Elrond replied, and that made Emerald laugh. 

She sighed, "Well, if none of this is news to you, then I feel a little better. The ring will get here soon, we decide who takes it to throw it in the mountain, and then we can just put all this behind us and I'll have learned how to use a sword for nothing." Her optimistic grin wasn't totally convinced –she, too, knew things were never as simple as the plan. 

Elrond thought a moment, or perhaps gave her a moment to think, then posed, "And who do you think should take on such a task? Who can be trusted to destroy such temptation?" 

The answer to that was easy, though, as she replied simply, "There are good people in the world still, Lord Elrond. I'm sure the Valar will be sending several of them here soon." 


	12. Chapter 12

"Please, Alagedh? You don't have to stay! Just walk with me down there-" 

"Have you talked to your brothers?"

"Yes..."

"And what did they say?"

Emerald sighed, "They said no."

"Usually I humor your wild fancies, Princess, but it would be foolish for me to argue with your brothers, not when it's for your own safety. Go find Lady Arwen and sit with her; she was looking for you this morning." Emerald sighed as he turned and walked off, thus preventing her from begging since he knew he wouldn't be strong enough to resist that. The fact that he hadn't agreed to go with her at all was surprising, but Emerald supposed it had something to do with Gildas threatening him within an inch of his life if he helped her venture off anywhere. Lord Elrond had casually suggested Emerald stay within the House for a while, and though he failed to give any reason, everyone took this as a significant warning and each time Beven, Gildas, and Hergest saw Emerald, it was to remind her she had better not try to leave.

She glared at Alagedh's back, then turned and walked quickly across the porch and through a hallway and out onto a balcony. Tegryn was there, but when he saw her he merely ordered, "Don't look at me! I'm not taking you anywhere!" and dashed off, leaving her alone on the balcony. Perfect. She leaned her elbows on the railing and looked over the edge. There was a single landing below after about a ten foot drop, a landing that most people couldn't see since it was by itself and surrounded by pretty dense foliage. If she could make the drop, it would be easy for her to sneak down through the trees –years of climbing trees was going to pay off– down to the creek, which she could then easily follow as far away as she wanted. Getting back into the city would only be a matter of climbing back up the trees.

Emerald glanced over her shoulder to make sure nobody was watching, then quickly clambered onto the other side of the railing. She carefully bent so that her fingers were hanging onto the very bottom of the platform to get herself as low as possible, swung her legs down, and then nervously rolled her eyes to see how much further of a drop it was. Pretty far. It was too late to back out now, though, and she could feel her fingers slipping the longer she held, so taking a deep breath and holding it in, she let go.

Falling freely with nothing to hold on to was an odd feeling, but it lasted only a second; no sooner had she started to fall but she landed as ungracefully as elvenly possible in a heap on the floor of the landing, her skirt ballooned around her like a mushroom and her elbow colliding sharply with a bench that she hadn't noticed before. She gasped and immediately clutched her elbow to her chest, making a face and rubbing it gently; had she broken it?

Perhaps if her attention hadn't been on nursing her elbow, she would have looked up sooner and seen the figure who moments before had been sitting serenely on a bench underneath the eaves, minding his own business, only to look up and witness a girl falling from the sky. After the momentary shock had worn off, he rose, his face still awash with surprise and confusion, and taking a step closer inquired, "Are you all right?"

Emerald gasped again, looked up into the concerned face, and groaned, "Oh no! Please don't tell my brothers you saw me. They'll kill me!"

"I'm more concerned with your health. Are you all right?" he repeated, stepping closer and offering his hand. Emerald slipped her small hand into his and let him pull her up, her cheeks turning a sweet shade of pink.

"Oh, I'm fine," she assured him, brushing her hair back in embarrassment.

"Is your arm all right?" he asked. At the confused look she gave him, he pointed to her arm, "Your arm–"

"Oh! Right, right," she interrupted, shaking her head at herself. "No, actually, I'm pretty sure I've broken it." She held her arm up and looked at it with a frown, then looked at him expectantly. "What do you think?"

"I..." He gave her a startled look, then asked, "Are you able to straighten it?"

"I'm not sure," Emerald replied and didn't try.

"Press on it and see if you feel a break."

"What? No, you push on it."

"If you're able to argue with me like this, I don't believe it's broken," he offered, which made her laugh.

"No, I don't think it's really broken either. It just hurts like no other."

The stranger, the visitor that had come to see Lord Elrond the day before, gave her another concerned look, then glanced up to where she had fallen from and asked, "Were you pushed, lady?"

"What? No, I jumped," she shook her head.

Instantly his eyes jerked back down to her and he asked with an absolutely confused look, "You jumped? Why would–"

"Oh, I shouldn't have told you that! Now you're going to tell my brothers on me."

"I do not know your brothers, therefor it would be quite strange for me to approach them and share that I had seen their sister."

"Not that you just saw me, that you saw me _escaping_."

"Is that what you are doing?"

"You're pretty slow to draw obvious conclusions," Emerald teased.

He gave an amused, slight smile and replied, "I am only trying to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Well I appreciate it, but my plans are ruined now. I can't escape any more."

"Where were you escaping _to_?"

"Just down to the river," Emerald answered innocently. "I was going to be back before supper."

"Seeing as I am not planning on alerting anyone to this, I don't see why your plans have changed," he replied politely.

"No, half the fun is getting away with nobody noticing."

"Consider me nobody, then, and don't let me ruin your day."

Emerald stopped just as she was about to stay something and instead paused to consider him. He looked the complete opposite of any of her brothers –his dark blue eyes and straight golden hair gave him a fairness that didn't fit the red or dark hair and light blue, green, or brown eyes of Emerald's family. Light... that was it. He seemed lighter than most Elves she had seen, –freer, perhaps because he was younger than any other Elves she had met except perhaps Arwen– even less civilized, if that was the right word to use. Not _un_civilized... but wild, like he was used to constantly moving around, maybe traveling a lot. Perhaps he felt restless in this House as well. The energy he exuded just standing there, the way his eyes danced with eagerness and ambition, the smile that though friendly and endearing could even come across as a little arrogant, as if he was used to a world in which his word carried importance, the way his manners were that of someone brought up well, perhaps even nobly, all this gave Emerald the impression of someone brought up in comfort but not spoiled, someone raised with politics and piety but not so that they spent their days sitting around in parlors sipping wine and ordering servants around. Perhaps a kindred spirit. The idea made Emerald smile, the edges of her pink lips curling up daintily as she assured him,

"You aren't ruining my day in the least. Perhaps you've just saved it. I always love meeting new people, and I believe you owe me an introduction since you _did_ interrupt my sword lesson yesterday."

The Elf grinned and returned gently, "You didn't seem too troubled over its end."

"No, I wasn't," she admitted with a chiming laugh. "I know how to fight well enough, I think. I bet I can defend myself, but Gildas and Alagedh want me to learn to fight _officially_, I guess. But that's beside the point. You still owe me an introduction."

"My apologies, my lady. I will deprive you of nothing you ask."

"A name would be nice, my lord, since that bit of information keeps slipping from your speech."

He smiled at her with amusement, "My apologies. I am Legolas of the forests of northern Mirkwood. I am honored beyond all to make the acquaintance of yourself, Fair Princess."

"Ah, so you've known who I am all along! What unfairness. From where did you learn of me?"

"The Lady Arwen has many kind things to say of you," he explained.

"Such as?"

"Such as that I would be fortunate to make your acquaintance. By her words, there is no one like you in the whole of Arda."

"Oh, is that all?"

"She also cautioned that should you seek my aid in escaping from the House of Lord Elrond that I was to do all I could to prevent you from succeeding."

Emerald threw her head back to laugh, then walked around him to sit down on the bench he had occupied earlier, "You see what I am up against? They want to keep me here until I'm old and grey."

"You're an elf–"

"It's an expression."

"Why is it that everyone is seeking to keep you? Surely they are not merely being cruel in keeping you trapped here." He gracefully sat beside her on the bench.

"Ah, I suppose it's because they're afraid I'll get myself killed. I'm prone to getting hurt."

"So I see!" he laughed, and his laughter made Emerald smile too.

"Hey, you try dropping down a level."

"I–"

"In a skirt!"

"My apologies, Princess, I am not meaning to challenge your escape abilities," he assured her, but his eyes still danced and Emerald narrowed her eyes in mock annoyance.

"That wasn't very heart-felt."

"I assure you, I would never speak to you with anything but absolute sincerity."

"Yeah, we'll see," she nodded slowly, then laughed. After a couple minutes of silence, she asked, "So, what is Mirkwood like? I've heard it's pretty scary. My father has visited there before, but never would he take me along with him. He said I'd probably get eaten by a spider or bring one home as a pet..."

Legolas grinned and shook his head, "No, you wouldn't want to keep one as a pet. It _is_ dangerous, though. More as of late..." A momentary darkness flickered across his fair face and Emerald regretted bringing it up. However, he shook it off, and assured her, "It is not so bad, though. Maybe to a light creature such as yourself, but it is not so loathsome. Arathilian is by the sea?"

"Yes."

"I envy you. Long have I dreamed of the sea."

"You should go, then. It's worth the trip."

They fell into another silence, then Emerald suddenly asked a question that had just now popped into her head, "Where's Dol Guldur?"

"In Southern Mirkwood..." Legolas answered slowly, turning to look at her suspiciously.

"Why do you not go near that place?" she posed casually.

Legolas studied her for a moment, then shook his head, "Lord Elrond told me not to speak to you of such matters."

Emerald laughed hard at that and insisted, "Aye,_ everyone_ has advice to give you about me!" She wiped at her cheek where a tear had broken out in her laughter, then pointed out, "I just quoted you, though, so it should be obvious by now that I know everything you told Lord Elrond, so what does it matter? But then, you don't usually come to the obvious conclusion..."

"Lord Elrond found me this morning to tell me that you knew of what we spoke and would probably seek me out to question me."

"Ah, but I didn't seek you out!"

"No, you fell from the sky by chance," he smiled, shaking his head at what an odd event that still was.

"So will you answer me question?"

Legolas gave her a serious look, "Lord Elrond ordered me not to."

"Which tells me that it obviously has something to do with— stuff. If you don't answer my question, I'll just go look in the library. I'm sure there's a book or manuscript in there that will explain what's wrong with Dol Guldur."

"I would not then be disobeying Lord Elrond," he pointed out.

"What does it matter? I'm going to find out either way; you'll just be saving me some time." Legolas didn't look ready to divulge, so Emerald sighed, "Please, Legolas?"

Perhaps it was the way she said his name or the slight pout or the way her shoulders slumped, but whatever the case, Legolas sighed, "Has anyone ever successfully told you no before?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you."

"I assure you, I would never speak to you with anything but absolute sincerity," she laughed, quoting him from earlier. "So will you answer my questions?"

"Only about Dol Guldur. Nothing else."

"All right."

"I don't see what relevance this has to anything, and I'm surprised you don't already know of it. The Dark Lord built it when he was in power and he stayed hidden there, known as the Necromancer, until the Wise discovered him. He fled to Mordor then, but the Nazgul reclaimed Dol Guldur shortly after he left."

"And those pursuing Gollum lost track of him at Dol Guldur?"

Legolas' face showed obvious distress as he sat up straighter and reminded, "Ai, only questions about Dol Guldur."

"That _is_ a question about Dol Guldur," she corrected. "But I won't make you answer," she assured him, as though she had some way of making him answer her but was kind enough not to use it. Instead, she asked, "Have you ever been there?"

"I have been near there, though no one who treasures life will go too near Dol Guldur. If ever your travels take you to Mirkwood, I advise you to avoid Dol Guldur at all costs. I beg it of you." The seriousness with which he said this touched Emerald's heart and she smiled.

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose I'll cross it off my list of places to visit."

"I am glad to hear that, Princess. Now if you have no more questions to ask of me on topics I should not speak on..."

"No, that's all for now," she smiled sweetly. "Thank you. I won't tell Lord Elrond on you since you aren't telling my brothers on me."

"I don't believe they could stay angry with you for very long. I don't see that anyone could be angry with you to begin with," Legolas admitted.

Emerald laughed, "Oh, they get angry with me, all right. It's out of love, though. I'm the only girl, after all, and the youngest with all these older brothers, so I suppose they _have_ to be protective of me."

"How many brothers have you?"

"Five. Auryn is the only one that didn't come with us. He stayed at home to help Papa with kingdom affairs."

"Auryn of Arathilian... I believe I have met him."

"He has gone to Mirkwood before, so maybe you have. He's not quite as memorable as me, I don't think, though."

"There are few who are, Princess," Legolas mused, and Emerald let her jaw drop playfully.

"You are laughing at me, my lord!"

"Ah, do not to take offense at my mirth," he quickly asked of her, turning those smiling eyes to her. "It is only that it has been a long four months and I have not had much occasion for laughter."

"You don't seem like someone who could go very long without laughing," Emerald commented.

"No? I am young still and therefor happily acquainted more with laughter than sorrow, but it has been some time since I have felt so free to laugh."

"Well then I have done something worthwhile today," Emerald congratulated herself. She was about to say something further when someone calling her name caught her attention.

Standing and peering up the narrow steps that had brought Legolas down here (the easy way), she called back, "I am here!" Almost immediately, Tegryn's face peered down the steps, and seeing his sister, he came trotting down, Alagedh close on his heels.

"There you are. Gildas sent us to find you. He was afraid you had run off," Tegryn explained, sending her a look that clearly stated she should be glad she hadn't or Gildas would be furious.

Emerald shook her head and replied, "No. I thought about it when both of you refused to accompany me –you see, people _do_ tell me no," she said to Legolas. It was only then that Alagedh and Tegryn paid him any attention. "I was going to, but this good sir here prevented me and provided a sufficient distraction to my imprisonment."

"You're not caged up," Tegryn rolled his eyes. "But you _are_ too dramatic." Emerald shook her head and looked to Alagedh but instead of meeting her gaze and sharing a secret laugh, his eyes were focused on Legolas with a look that Emerald couldn't quite recognize.

"Well, now that you know that I've stayed safely here, is there anything else you need of me?" Emerald asked, turning back to Tegryn.

He shrugged, "Lord Elrond said you might be interested to know that an Elf by the name of Galdor has arrived from the Grey Havens."

Emerald gasped and smiled, "Yes! Thank you for telling me."

"Right. Well... supper is a while off... and that's all the instruction I have for you. Don't go anywhere."

"Listen to you, sounding all grown up," Emerald teased. "I hardly recognize you!" He rolled his eyes –that was much more Tegryn like– and followed Alagedh, who hadn't said a word, back up the steps.

Emerald turned to Legolas and smiled, "I believe that means I had better go find this new arrival. How long are you to stay in Imladris?"

"I do not know. Lord Elrond has not given me a message to carry back to Mirkwood yet."

"Well, if I were you, I would stay here a while longer. You never know what's about to happen..." she suggested.

Legolas smiled, "If it will bring me more occasions to meet with you, I shall stay here as long as I am welcome, perhaps longer!" and Emerald couldn't decide whether he was teasing or flattering her.

Either way, she nodded, "Then farewell for now. But thank you for keeping me company. I think it's best if we don't speak of my leap of faith. Ever."

"Of course not, my lady," Legolas laughed, and she left him like that, laughing at her, but she didn't mind. He had a contagious laugh.

Unfortunately, this new arrival to Rivendell, Galdor, was not to be found, nor was Elrond, and Emerald had to settle herself with the company of Tegryn and Hergest who, in their maturity, showed her how they had discovered a statue without arms, which obviously lent itself to Tegryn standing behind and substituting his own arms. Bilbo provided a companion for her at supper as he regaled another of many tales; in Emerald he had found a captive audience and used that to his best advantage.

After supper, Emerald spent her time with Arwen, and it was quite late before Emerald retired to her room, exhausted and now quite sore from her fall. She collaped onto her bed and rubbed her elbow, thinking to herself that maybe she really had broken it, when she noticed with a start that the book her mother had given her had been moved. She clearly remembered leaving it on the corner table the last time she had looked at it, and she was sure _she_ hadn't moved it since it never said anything new anyways. However, now it rested on the chair near her balcony. _Somebody_ had moved it.

Curiously, she pushed herself up and brought it back to the bed, then opened up to scan the pages for an explanation. The first pages were the same as always, but to her surprise she found something new, the first addition since her arrival in Rivendell about a month previous. Two new pages had been added: the first had "Frodo Baggins" scripted at the top and the only thing written beneath was "On path to Rivendell." The second page had "Legolas of Mirkwood" written at the top and beneath simply "And Elven peasant of noble birth." Emerald thought for several minutes on this, but it made no sense to her, though part of her mind insisted it should, and the news that Frodo was on his way to Rivendell was comforting, though she hoped he would arrive sooner rather than later. That read, she put the book aside and grabbed paper to jot down what she had been told about Dol Guldur and to put that as Gollum's current location.

"Sometimes you just have to draw the obvious conclusion," she smiled to herself.


	13. Chapter 13

The next three days kept Emerald more than busy enough, and any restlessness she had begun to feel from being kept in the House for over a month was forgotten in exchange for a much more thrilling occupation: meeting the new arrivals to Rivendell. The next day Emerald found Galdor and spent several hours talking to him –he seemed thoroughly amused by her energy, her curiosity, her interest and happily talked about Cirdan the Shipwright –by whom he had been sent as a messenger– and all manner of other things that interested Emerald. Just as she was ready to begin snooping around to find out why Galdor had been sent (that is, what message he carried and if it had any relevance to anything) who should set foot in Imladris but two dwarves, the older of which was the one Emerald felt the need to acquaint herself with. Gloin was his name, and though he harboured the age-old prejudices of dwarves against elves, he found himself forced to at least suffer himself to answer some of her questions the few times she was able to address him before he could think of an adequate excuse to make his escape. 

Then the real excitement came. Emerald had taken to entertaining herself on the balcony with the youngest two of her brothers, the three of them sitting lazily on benches, all three feeling the pains of being unable to leave their confines, for Gildas had grown even stricter about Emerald staying put. It was there that Lord Elrond found her, his hands clasped regally before his body so that his sleeves hid his hands and cascaded down in a curtain in front of him. 

She looked up at him with surprise that he should come find her, though this quickly changed to anxiety when he asked, "Lady Emerald, might you walk with me?" She didn't bother asking leave of Tegryn and Hergest, just slipped her arm through his and sent her brothers a confused look. 

Once they had strolled some distance away where the curving walkways and trees gave a safe area for shared confidences, Lord Elrond mentioned vaguely, "Lady Emerald, we have new guests come to Imladris." 

"Oh? What sort of guests?" 

"Glorfindel returned this morning, and with him arrives a ranger and four halflings who–" 

"Frodo!" Emerald gasped and turned her wide eyes to Lord Elrond. "He's made it, then, safe and sound." 

"So it would seem, though it is taking all my skills as a healer to heal him from a wound he received from a morgul blade some days ago." 

"Ai! Is he healing, though?" Emerald gasped, concern instantly flooding her voice. If Elrond felt himself taxed to heal such a wound, it must be terrible. 

Lord Elrond replied, "Yes, though I do not know that he shall ever entirely heal. He will carry the scar from that wound for the rest of his days, I fear." Emerald wanted to dismiss that as anything horrible –she had plenty of scars, and that didn't matter. Elrond's tone, however, clued her in that it was much more serious when it came from a morgul blade. "The reason, however, that I have asked you to come with me is that the halfling Frodo carries with him an item–" 

"The ring!" Emerald gasped again. She had been right! Here it was, just like she had insisted it would be, and here too were guests to Lord Elrond's house, and so everything was playing out just as she had said it would. 

Lord Elrond nodded his strong head and explained, "Yes. I wonder if you might come with me and identify it as the item in your dream or not." 

"I don't think there's much question about it," Emerald insisted, but when Elrond pressed the matter she agreed to, if it was really that important to him. Through their speech, they had crossed to the far side of the House, and here Elrond led her to a room in which, tucked into a bed made for someone quite a bit larger than himself was a small creature that looked no older than a boy in size and yet had a wearisome about him on his ashen face and taught lips that Emerald wanted to associate with age. He indeed looked ill, and Emerald frowned at his clammy skin, the sweat on his brow, the way he lay still and yet seemed to wander in dreams through some dark place. She sat down on the edge of the bed and lay her dainty hand on his forehead, and instantly his arms and legs relaxed, as though through her a calming peace had washed over him. She smiled, then noticed the silver chain around his neck, and tugging on this brought a golden band out from beneath his sweat-soaked shirt. There was nothing exceptional about the ring except that it seemed so familiar to Emerald, for she had seen it many times before in her dreams, and yet only now for the first time with her own eyes. 

She gasped and let go of the ring as the memory of that flaming red eye, the eye of Sauron, stirred in her mind as real as the bed she sat on. Her hand immediately pulled back from the chain so that the ring slipped back under his shirt and her fingers reached for her own ring, strung on a similar chain around her own neck. The one ring, such a simple piece of jewelry, seemed suddenly so heavy and dangerous that Emerald felt the urgent need to put as much space between herself and it as possible. 

"It is the same," she nodded, rising gently from the bed and turning to Lord Elrond. "And yet in person it feels so much darker." 

"Do you have the desire to put it on?" Elrond asked cooly, regarding her face closely. 

Emerald shook her head, "No, I don't want to touch it. I want to keep as far from it as possible." 

"Yet in the dream you put it on–" 

"No, I did not know then what it was. Now I do and I fear it. I would not put this ring on now; it is not for me to wear." 

The comment seemed so strange coming from a girl who had thus far shown always boldness and curiosity and a head-strong will of her own that Elrond looked at her even more closely and inquired, "What would you have done with it, then?" 

"I would have it destroyed," Emerald quickly answered, stepping further from the bed as Frodo stirred in his sleep, afraid her voice would awaken him. "I don't know how, but as long as it exists, it'll continue to haunt Middle Earth." 

"Very well. Come away, then; that is all I ask of you for the moment, though I believe the time for questions is just beginning. If you desire, I am sure Frodo's travel companions would be pleased to meet you." 

Emerald nodded, but it was not to find out the other three hobbits that she went. Instead she spent the rest of the afternoon pouring over books in the library to learn as much as she could about morgul blades and the wounds they left. There wasn't much, though. Morgul blades were the weapon of choice of the nazgul, which she supposed couldn't mean anything good to begin with. The only other reference to "morgul" that she could find was referring to Minas Morgul, an old watchtower of Gondor that had been taken over by the nazgul, though it was built many years before that by Elendil and his sons, then called Minas Ithil. She did a little research on the nazgul while she was at it, hoping to find names, though she wasn't sure what knowing their names (or rather the names of the men they used to be) would do, but she found only one: Khamûl, also called the Black Easterling, or even Sauron's lieutenant. From there, she looked for anything about the Easterlings, but all that the library of Imladris held on them stated that they were dark men from the East who constantly attacked Gondor and had forever proved an enemy to Middle-Earth, and then several watered-down histories of rulers and battles and such that didn't provide anything important. Emerald wondered why they kept attacking –was it land? cultural differences? kingdom strife? 

Only in the most untouched, insignificant corner of the library did she find any other mention of the Easterlings and their frequent allies, the Haradrim from the South: a book with cracked pages and water marks on many of the pages mentioned that the Easterlings and the Haradrim had been in confidence with Morgoth, Sauron's predecessor and mentor of sorts who served as the resident dark lord back in the First Age. Likewise, many of both groups of men had served Sauron last time, and that caught Emerald's attention. That was definitely worth mentioning, because if they served him last time, they were likely to serve him again, weren't they? Which meant that should things escalate to a war as she feared they would were the ring not destroyed as she hoped, there would be battles of men versus men, or Elves versus men, or whatever. For some reason, men seemed a much more formidable opponent than orcs, though she had nothing on which to base that opinion. 

With any of this, she worried most for Gondor, for it stood blocked in one three sides by the enemy –near at hand were the lands of the Easterlings and the Haradrim, and just next door was Mordor where Sauron had called home last time and most likely did now as well.

Emerald's studies were interrupted by a call to supper, and though her intention had been to return and continue, maybe see if she hadn't missed something in a book shoved into a cranny that she hadn't checked, she found herself instead thrust into the company of two small hobbits, that of Peregrine Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck. It was explained to her that the third of their party, Samwise Gamgee, had taken to sitting by Frodo's side, where he was at the moment, and "Pippin" and "Merry", as they asked to be called, seemed worried as well about their friend's health. Emerald took it upon herself, then, to cheer them up a little, and by the time she retired to her room late that night, more than a couple laughs had sounded from the balcony on which she had lounged with her two new acquaintances plus Tegryn, and Hergest. 

The next morning, Emerald awoke from a dream of which she remembered nothing but the word or name, whichever it was, "Ivorwen." She didn't think much on it, and was able to forget it for the time being as she hurried off to meet Merry and Pippin as she had promised to do so. On the way to them, she passed Gloin and his son who quickly thundered away from her to prevent a meeting, and then Lady Arwen talking to Beven, and then Legolas, who did not notice her as he gazed out from a balcony with his back to her, and then Galdor with whom she chatted for several minutes before begging his pardon and hurrying off. It gave her a strange sense of excitement to be in this foreign house that had become so familiar to her with these foreign people that, likewise, had become tangible figures after all the dreams and signs and whatnot. Now that Frodo was here, things could proceed... and yet she still felt as though a person or two was missing. It wasn't time just yet. 

The morning was pleasant enough with the company of Pippin and Merry who gained esteem in Emerald's eyes as two creatures of highly amusing capabilities. She sat next to Arwen to eat lunch, then took to wandering around the grounds for a while before suddenly recalling the word that had hung over into her waking hours from the night. Ivorwen. The best place, she decided, to begin looking was in the library, though the task seemed so daunting since she wasn't sure in the least whether Ivorwen was a person or a place or a thing, and any of the above would direct her search in a far different direction. That in mind, she decided the best course of action was to seek Lord Elrond out and run the word past him first to see if he had any ideas. 

It was as she was seeking the Elf lord that she came across two other figures, both familiar to Rivendell, seated approximately two feet apart on a bench in the gardens though the awkward atmosphere between them seemed to take up much more space than two feet. Emerald paused to smile at Arwen and ask if she knew where her father might possibly be, but then she took note of her company, a man dressed in silver and black with dark hair framing a rugged face and the sharpest blue eyes Emerald could remember...and she _did_ remember them! 

Just as she opened her mouth to address Arwen, she gasped and cried, "You!" 

Arwen and the man both gave her baffled looks and the latter asked, "Is there something–" 

"Ah, but you don't remember me!" Emerald laughed at herself, shaking her head at his confused look. 

"King Orwig's fairy daughter," he filled in, looking at Emerald with amused eyes.. "I would not have recognized you, I don't think, had not Lord Elrond and Lady Arwen and my friend Legolas told me much about you, though you are not so different, though many years older. But you are an Elf, after all, and have not aged as I have." 

"Come now. You aren't so old yet," Emerald insisted, smiling impishly. "Not bad for a watered-down Elf!" 

Arwen gave an amused smile and after her lilting laughter repeated questioningly, "A watered-down Elf?" 

"I'm quite sure he is descended from Elves through many, many, _many_ generations. Don't you agree there's just something awfully regal about him? In a sort of wild, rugged way, of course," Emerald teased. And suddenly his name came to her as though it had never slipped her mind, and she wondered why it had for so long. "Aragorn... it means 'valiant king' or something along those lines anyways, doesn't it?" 

Aragorn grinned, "You know better than I, Princess." 

"As long as we all understand this," she laughed. "And I hope I was given a fair description by all three of your informants." 

"Nothing I didn't expect from the same person who set fire to the throne room, flooded the kitchens, and turned a wolf lose at a banquet for myself and several other rangers, all within a week's time..." Aragorn mused, and this only made Emerald laugh again as she assured him, "You are right; I haven't changed so much at all. However, this time I haven't come to bother you for a story or anything of that sort. I'm in search of Lord Elrond. Might either of you know where he is?" The serious look Aragorn gave her made Emerald wonder just what Elrond had told him about her, just how much he knew about her involvement. 

Arwen was the one to shake her head gracefully and reply, "No, I have not seen him since this morning. Is everything all right?" 

"Well, nothing's the _matter_," Emerald answered. "I just remember this single word from a dream I had last night, and I was hoping that he might be able to point me in the right direction of figuring out what it means." 

"What is the word?" Aragorn asked, then added, "Not that I will know, but perhaps either of us will recognize it." Emerald decided right then that though Lord Elrond probably hadn't told him everything –at least she hoped he hadn't, for she was getting the impression that the fewer people that knew anything, the better– he had definitely shared something. 

"Ivorwen," Emerald answered, not caring if they knew at least that much. "I'm not sure if it's a person or a place or what." 

Aragorn nodded and waited until she finished her sentence, then answered, "Fortunate for you, then, that I can clear your confusion, though but a little. Ivorwen is a person, the wife of Dírhael of the Dúnedain and my mother's mother." 

"Oh?" Emerald was obviously surprised by this and instantly a dozen and more questions began running through her mind as to why she was suddenly having dreams concerning Aragorn's grandmother. "Well that _is_ much help!" 

"I'm glad, though I'm sorry I can't tell you more, for I did not grow up among my mother's people–" 

"No, that's quite all right," Emerald assured him. "I can take it from there. Maybe I'll even remember my dream... that would be most helpful... But anyways, I won't take up any more of your time, though I might trouble you later for more tales of your adventures." 

"I'm sure you will, and I'm sure I'll indulge you," he returned with a laugh. "For I've yet to find anyone who can resist the Princess of Arathilian." Emerald admitted that his might be true, then kissed Arwen on the cheek, and hurried off feeling very proud of herself that the atmosphere she left Arwen and Aragorn in was no longer awkward at all. 

She ventured to the library and there found Beven, nose buried in a book though he looked up at her entrance and greeted, "Emmy. What are you getting into at the moment?" 

"Nothing bad," Emerald promised. "Actually, maybe you can help me. I'm looking for information about an Ivorwen, wife of Dírhael of the Dúnedain and grandmother of Aragorn who, by the way, is the ranger that tells good stories." 

Beven laughed hard at that and, shaking his head, insisted, "At least he has a name now. Well, and what's so important about his grandmother?" 

"I'm not sure. It's all I remember from a dream I had last night." 

"Well, if there's one thing I've learned, it's to follow your hunches wherever they might lead, so let's look..." Which is what they did for the remained of the afternoon, and what they found impressed both of them and intrigued Emerald to further action. Aragorn was actually Aragorn II, son of Arathorn and Gilraen, the latter of which was the daughter of Ivorwen and the former of which, and thus himself, was through many generations the descendent of Isildur. 

"That means... that means Aragorn is the rightful king of Gondor!" Emerald gasped, looking up at Beven in awe. "What's he doing as a ranger if he's a king?" 

Beven corrected, "Just because that's his ancestry doesn't mean that's what he knows, or what he's chosen, or what he's meant for. Gondor has been ruled by stewards for almost a thousand years now." 

"All right, I'll accept that. But either way, Aragorn is entirely wrapped up in this whether he wants to be or not, I think. The ring is called 'Isildur's Bane', after all." 

"So that means Aragorn _has_ to be involved? Just because his ancestor was? I thought we were beyond children paying for the mistakes of their fathers." 

"Descendents always pay for the mistakes of their ancestors. It's an unwritten rule," Emerald argued. "But we can think about that later. For now, what's the importance of Ivorwen?" 

"These books say next to nothing about her that you don't already know. I would ask Lord Elrond." 

Emerald sighed with frustration, but the more dead ends she found, the more determined she was, so she went off once again in search of Lord Elrond and this time found him leaving Frodo's room. When he saw her, he answered her first question, "He is recovering well, as well as I dared to hope. You have a question for me?" 

"Yes. What can you tell me about Aragorn's grandmother Ivorwen? I just came from the library, so I already know all about how he's the King of the Gondor and all that," she rattled off with such casualness that it brought an amused smile to Elrond's face. "But I had a dream last night, and all I remember is the name Ivorwen." 

"What is it you are asking of me, then?" 

"Was there anything... you know, _special_ about her, that would tie her to everything that's going on? You met her, I'm sure, right?" 

Elrond nodded, "Yes, I did, though I was not closely acquainted with her. Do you know the story of Aragorn's parents?" 

"Yes. That Arathorn wanted to marry Gilraen, but her father said she was too young, so Ivorwen convinced him to let them marry." 

"That is correct. When Aragorn was only a small child, Arathorn was killed by orcs, and Gilraen brought him here, begging me to care for him, as I have done since then." 

"What happened to Gilraen?" 

"She was not of the Noble blood of the Dunedain and died while Aragorn was still a child. Her grave is here in Rivendell, if you're curious to see it." 

"And what about Ivorwen? Why did she convince her husband to let Arathorn and Gilraen marry?" 

Elrond replied, "That is anyone's guess. It is said that Ivorwen had the gift of foresight, so perhaps he bent to her will for a greater good." 

"And whatever happened to Ivorwen?" 

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that. I do not believe she, either, was of the noble blood, though I suppose it is possible..." he trailed off, as if he hadn't thought it for many years. "However, after her husband was killed, I heard no more of her, and believe she is dead, though I could not prove that to you. If she were still alive, she would be well into her hundreds at present, and that is an old age even for those of the noble blood. Which, did she possess it, was not passed onto her daughter, and therefor is unlikely to have been present in Ivorwen." 

"But she _might_ still be alive!" Emerald cried, her eyes lighting up. "You haven't ever thought, or Aragorn hasn't, of finding his grandmother if she's still alive?" 

"As I told you, I was not a close acquaintance of Ivorwen's, and Aragorn... Aragorn is not ready to recognize his ancestry. Ivorwen has never sought him out, though, and Gilraen did not look to her mother for help when Arathorn was killed, which is why I believe she is dead. I do not, however, know everything," he admitted to Emerald, and that made her laugh. 

"No, I think you do, Lord Elrond," she teased. "However, for my own heart, I think I shall hope that Ivorwen is still alive and that she might see Aragorn. He's an awfully nice man." 

"Yes, he is," Elrond agreed. 

"Well thank you Lord Elrond. That's all," Emerald smiled, then turned and hurried off, thinking to herself that people didn't just disappear. Even if she had died, there should be a note of it somewhere, and Emerald felt the need to find either such a note or Ivorwen herself, though she couldn't pinpoint just why she felt the need to do so. 


	14. Chapter 14

It was two days later that Mithrandir arrived, haggard and exhausted and anxious about the health of Frodo. He was immediately rushed to Frodo's side, and then took long council with Elrond, and after that retired to rest, so that Emerald did not hear of his arrival until much later in the day when Merry and Pippin happened to stroll by as she and Alagedh admired new fall blossoms in the garden and casually mentioned the arrival. Emerald lost no time in wishing temporary farewell to Alagedh and hurrying off to discover which of the many rooms had been given to Mithrandir, and there had raised her hand to knock when the door swung open and a tall, thin old man with perhaps the longest beard she had ever seen looked down at her with a warm but tired grin. 

"Ah, Princess of Arathilian. I had wondered when I would be granted the pleasure of seeing you after these many years," he greeted with a smile, his eyes crinkling as she took his hand and squeezed it. "And look how you have grown. No longer the impish little sprite but now a beautiful young lady." 

"Perhaps," she returned with a laugh. "But you are every bit the same as I remember you, although a bit more tired, dear wizard. I am afraid you have been having a rough time of it." 

"You would be right to assume that. But then, maybe you are not assuming much, since you seem to know very much the business of everyone." 

Emerald laughed, "I am a young lady. It is my business to know everyone else's business. But come, have you time to walk with me, or perhaps sit if that would better suit your needs? I have many questions to ask you, as I am sure Lord Elrond has warned you in the time that your arrival was kept a secret from me." 

"I always have time for a beautiful lady and an old friend, and you are both. Let us sit," Mithrandir agreed, and together they walked along several pathways before he settled on a garden from which they could overlook the river, its noisy chatter echoing around the trees as the sun tentatively lowered itself to the west, shooting orange and red spears through the branches. Emerald didn't press Mithrandir immediately, and for the first several minutes, they merely sat together, enjoying the cool breeze dancing up from the water. 

It was Mithrandir who finally broke the silence, saying, "I am sure you are full of questions you believe I will be able to answer for you." At Emerald's quick nod, he continued, "However, I know no more than Lord Elrond, for I have taken him into confidence of everything I have learned, and perhaps I know less, for it appears you have done the same, though he seemed to hint that there is more that you are not sharing. However, I am not to press you for anything." 

"I have promised that everything of importance, I will share with him, and he has, likewise, answered my questions as best he can." 

"Then I shall do the same, though I ask that on some questions, you be patient, for I will not be able to answer many things fully until I have had time to talk to Frodo and contemplate." 

"All right. Answer what you can, but know that I'm an expert at getting answers to questions people seem unwilling to answer." 

"Ask what you will." 

"How long have you known that Bilbo's ring was the One Ring?" 

Mithrandir thought a moment, then replied, "I have had my suspicions for many, many years. Of course, I could not be sure until I found papers written by Isildur himself explaining odd characteristics of the Ring, such as that script appears on it when held in the fire. I performed this test, found it concurred, and was thus decided." 

"Why did you not have the Ring destroyed as soon as you learned what it was?" Emerald asked, then suddenly regretted it by the pained expression that seized the old man's face. 

"You ask me a difficult question, Lady Emerald, for you bring up a mistake of mine that may cost us everything. The Dark Lord had been vacant for so many years, and the Ring was causing no harm to anyone in the care of Bilbo, so I let it be, though I should have had it destroyed simply on my suspicions. It was not until only a few months ago that I performed the test and was so decided." 

Emerald quickly assured him, "You can't be blamed, then. For all you knew, there shouldn't have been any problems." However, she could feel the guilt seeping through his being and knew that whatever action was decided, he would be a forefront member of the activity, if only to clear his conscious. "I know Bilbo tricked the Ring out of Gollum in that cave, and I also know that Gollum escaped the Mirkwood guards and fled to Dol Goldur–" 

"You have gathered your information from a variety of sources. It seems no one in this house is able to resist your appeals for answers." 

Emerald laughed, "That might be so. But my question is, why was Gollum being held captive?" 

"I myself do not have the whole answer, though I was the one who asked it of King Thranduil. What all do you know of Gollum?" 

"Only that he used to be called Smeagol." 

"Yes. Before he came in contact with the Ring, Gollum was a creature not that far removed from a Hobbit. He was called by Smeagol. However, once he came to possess the Ring, for which he murdered his cousin, it turned him into what he is now, the vilest and lowliest of creatures, a cave dweller who has ventured from his dark dwelling only because of his greed for the Ring. You see, he and the Ring are one in his mind, and it pains him to be far from it. He knows from where the Ring has come, though, and so watches Mordor with a passion. I recently found him wandering in the area and decided it best if we kept a close eye on him," Mithrandir answered. 

"Well what can he expect to find in Dol Goldur? Legolas of Mirkwood only told me that Dol Goldur is an old fortress of Sauron's and that no one goes near there now without a death wish." 

"Yes," Mithrandir nodded. "I do not believe Gollum will find anything there, for I doubt anything resides there except maybe a few remaining scattered orcs from the dark lord's glory days. I do not believe Gollum has stayed in Dol Goldur, though he might originally have fled there. I find it much more likely that he is wandering in search of the Ring." 

"If the dark lord has gathered enough power to wake up, might Gollum go to him?" 

"I don't believe so, for even more than Gollum hated Bilbo taking the Ring does he hate the idea of the dark lord getting the Ring. He knows it will never be his again should such a thing happen to him." 

"Well we could spin that to our advantage, couldn't we? I mean, if Gollum's been creeping around Mordor, than he probably knows better than anyone how to get into the Mountain so that the Ring could be destroyed!" 

"You are suggesting a very manipulative means, and a very dangerous method of destroying the Ring." 

"It is the only way," Emerald argued. "And the Ring must be destroyed. As long as it still exist, Sauron will continue to haunt Middle Earth. Even were we to defeat him now, how many years will it be until the next time that he rises again?" 

"However, it is not so easy as that. The action you are suggesting would take much time and consideration, and the battles have already begun." 

"Well we will fight until the Ring is destroyed." 

"Who will fight? Your brothers? Your friends? You? Who is willing to fight?" 

Emerald settled back after the excitement that had welled up at her in the thought of a means of action struck a wall. She recalled the mourning of her kingdom at the death of the guards and tried to imagine the massive deaths a war would bring on a race of people that otherwise would never die. 

"You are considering the deaths, I see. As does Lord Elrond. He does not wish to sacrifice his people for a cause that they will not stay to see. Dwarves will not fight. Hobbits are no warriors. That leaves only men, and what hope have men on their own? They are divided, weak, defenseless." 

"What do you mean Elves will not see? We're all here, aren't we?" 

"Yes, but Elves have the right to travel to the Grey Havens." 

"Elves are fleeing?" 

"Elves are leaving a world they see very little hope for if things continue at this rate, and if worse comes to worse, I have no doubt you will do likewise. Your brothers and parents will leave you no choice, as is wise." 

"As is cowardly!" 

Mithrandir paused a moment to let the frustration linger on Emerald's face, then leaned in to explain, "Pardon my saying, Lady Emerald, but you are young and sheltered. You have led a blessed and protected life in a kingdom and with people willing to fancy your every whim. You cannot understand what war on the scale we are fearing is like. You do not know real death or fear or discomfort, so it is not your place to judge courage and cowardice. It is not your life that will be risked, but the lives of all those you love." 

Emerald fell silent and looked down at her lap in shame. Mithrandir was right. When it came down to it, Emerald would never be in harm's way. Her family would not allow it. At the first signs of danger, King Orwig would be sending a messenger to fetch her back, and no doubt she would be on the first ship to Gray Havens when news of this impending war leaked out. 

But what about everyone else? Emerald thought of Father Bilbo, of the men at home, of Merry and Pippin, even of the dwarves. What of the elves who stayed to fight or were caught unwilling in the war? But was she willing for Tegryn, Hergest, Beven, Gildas, Auryn, her father, Alagedh to die so that a few of other races might live? It was not the sort of question Emerald felt she was able to fully consider, much less ever come to any conclusion on. She suddenly began to think, though, of how wrapped up she was in everything. So far it had been a safe involvement: she just knew things, she asked questions, she learned things, she made arguments. But how deeply would she be entrenched in things? Would she be here to watch the deaths? Would she herself be killed, or the ones she loved? Would she have to make such a decision? Would people die because of arguments she made? 

Slowly, Emerald felt her heart beginning to break. 

Mithrandir reached out and gently patted her hand, "I believe that is enough questions for tonight. I am afraid I have said far too much, Lady Emerald, and I apologize. These thoughts are not thoughts for a young lady such as yourself to entertain, and I beg you to think no more of it." He rose, but held her hand, "Please, Princess, stay as you are now. Do not let this world or this war get to you. You were made for a world more perfect than this and a life more beautiful than one of war." He looked sorrowfully down at her a moment longer, then kissed her forehead, pressed her hand, and walked off, regretting saying as much as he had, though he hoped it would encourage her to board the first ship to Gray Havens. Though he hoped more than anyone for the salvation of Middle Earth, there were lives to spend before it came, he knew, and he didn't wish for hers to be one of them, as he feared it would be should she stay. 

Emerald pulled her knees up to her chest and spun on the bench to feign watching the river, though her eyes grew so glassy that everything blurred into one large abstract of red and gold and black. She closed her eyes and rested her chin on her knees, wishing more than anything she could just run home and be a little girl again. She suddenly felt more alone, scared, and in over her head than she ever had. Suddenly, she was beginning to see what this all really meant, but at the same time, she knew she still couldn't understand, and that scared her even more. 

She heard steps behind her but ignored them, expecting someone to simply be passing by, but the steps paused, and after a moment, someone posed gently, "Princess, are you still out here? It is growing dark and cool." 

Emerald wiped furiously at her eyes and insisted, "Yes, I am just admiring the night," turning to the side in the hopes that in the waning light, her profile would hide the couple tears that had trickled down her faces. 

It was to no avail, though, and Legolas cried, "Ai, fair lady, what has happened?" 

"Nothing," she shook her head, "I am fine." 

"A fair creature such as yourself does not waste tears," he argued, taking the liberty of a seat beside her on the bench. 

"On the contrary, fair creatures often cast tears on the most trivial of occurrences." 

"Well then what is this occurrence, that I might be the judge of its triviality?" 

Emerald sighed as if considering relating everything to him before remembering that she couldn't, so she shook her head, "Only thinking deep thoughts." 

"Such as?" 

"Just nonsense–" 

"Come then, let me think nonsense with you." 

Emerald looked at him again, but his blue eyes seemed so earnest in their sympathy that she finally consented and asked, "Have you ever seen anyone die?" 

"Elves do not die." 

"They do if they are killed." 

"Either way, I have not." 

"Neither have I..." 

Legolas waited a moment, then prompted, "And this depresses you...?" 

"Yes, but no... I don't know. It's just that... A short time ago, two guards in my father's kingdom were killed. I knew it happened, I saw the people mourning, and yet my father ordered that no one discuss it with me and basically tried to keep the whole thing hidden from me. He did it out of love; he was just trying to protect me from sorrow, but... People are always sheltering me, always protecting me, always looking out for me, but what if in the long run the are actually doing me harm?" 

"There will never be a time when you are not being protected," Legolas argued. "That you can be sure of, Princess. You are dear to everyone who meets you. There will always be someone there watching over you." 

"You can't know that!" Emerald insisted and almost let slip her story again. Instead, to Legolas' confused expression, she shook her head, "Dangerous times are coming, Legolas of Mirkwood, and I fear they will destroy me." 

"Why would you fear such a thing? No harm will come near you–" 

"I cannot always be protected from every type of harm. If I don't get _myself_ killed... but even besides physical harm, I have never known sorrow. Does that mean that even the smallest of sorrows will affect me a hundred times worse? I have a girl child's heart. Does that mean it will break under the slightest pressure? I have never been afraid, therefor I have never been brave, not in the real sense of the word, so does that make me a coward?" 

"Those are indeed heavy thoughts to be thinking," Legolas agreed after a moment. "And I wish that you would not entertain such ideas, but I know that saying that has very little affect." 

"That's what people have been telling me all my life. I have been sheltered from the world, and now the world is crashing down around me." 

"Is it?" 

"Yes," Emerald replied, but she didn't offer more and Legolas didn't ask more. 

Instead, he waited another moment, as though hesitant to offer it, then shared, "My father saw his father murdered in battle, and because of that, he has been a hard man all my life. But like your father, he has done it out of love. Nevertheless, I too have been sheltered, possibly too sheltered. I have never suffered as my father has, and I have never known true sorrow the way he has." 

"Perhaps you will do something stupid because of it," Emerald mused, and though they both smiled, she was being quite serious. 

"It is possible." 

"Would you fight if there was a war? If there was the strong chance that you would die, that you would never go to Gray Havens, would you still fight?" 

"It is the courageous thing to do." 

"But is it also stupid? I am confused where the line between courage and stupidity is..." 

"It is possible they are the same thing." 

"Yes... yes, I think many things like that are actually the same thing. But you would really fight? Why?" 

"I cannot say." 

"Of course you can say." 

He paused, then answered, "If it was something I truly believed in, I would fight. I would fight to prove myself. To win the respect of my father. To bring honor to my family. And because I am young and reckless and the true idea of absolute death is unfathomable to my mind." 

Emerald laughed, a nice, loud, genuine laugh that made Legolas grin as she replied, "That's a very honest answer." 

"I told you I would never be anything but sincere with you." 

"You did say that," Emerald mused. She waited a moment, and though the depression had not completely fled her mind, it had momentarily run its course, and though the heavy thoughts remained hidden in her mind, she found that she could not think on such things for very long at a time. So instead she added, "I believe I am too young and reckless, as well, and that will either be the death of me, the salvation of us all, or perhaps both." 

"You will not. Princess," Legolas quickly tagged on, as though he had momentarily forgotten whom he was speaking to and felt it necessary to remind himself. "You are perhaps the wisest lady I have ever met, and the wisest youth as well." 

"I have my moments," she laughed. "Of course, you can still be stupid and wise at the same time... But don't expect to see my deep thoughts often. Nobody wants deep thoughts from the sunshine bringer." 

"Perhaps. However, I, for one, will always be a willing ear should you need to think out loud again, and I will try my best to keep up." 

"Thank you, Legolas. That means a lot to me," she smiled and would have said more had Alagedh not suddenly come hurrying up the path. 

"Alagedh, is everything all right?" 

He looked at her with surprise for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, only Mithrandir warned me he might have said something to upset you." 

"Oh, it has passed, and you see me now, perfectly fine, don't you?" Emerald grinned. "Melancholy is not becoming on a young lady, now is it?" 

"Very little could be unbecoming on you, Princess," Alagedh teased, and Emerald laughed and shook her head at his daring. 

"Well at any rate, I promised two little hobbits a song before I retired for the night, and if they are out and about, I had better keep my word. If you two will excuse me..." 

"I'll come with you," Alagedh assured her, offering his arm. "I wouldn't miss an opportunity to hear you sing, and those little creatures are an amusement to be around, aren't they?" 

Emerald nodded and slipped her hand through his arm, not bothering to put too much thought on his sudden chivalry, and walked offer with him, leaving Legolas alone on the bench, though she did turn and mouth to him over her shoulder, 'Thank you.' He nodded and turned to watch the river scrambling past, the moon painting the trees as Emerald rounded the corner with Alagedh. 


	15. Chapter 15

Emerald found delightful companions in Merry and Pippin, as well as in Sam, though he seemed far too preoccupied with the recovery of Frodo to spend much time at all away from the bedside of his dear friend. Nonetheless, on occasion he ventured from the room and, apparently finding Emerald the most affable of the Elves, as well as the most intriguing, would pull himself up beside her on a stone bench to ask a song or story of her, and she was only too delighted to comply. After all, it was usually she asking another for a tale or song, and this she did of Pippin and Merry quite often, and so began to learn something of the Hobbit world at the same time as their knowledge of Elves expanded. Sam was fascinated by the Elvish language and found great amusement once in listening to Merry and Emerald carry on a conversation, Emerald speaking Elvish and Merry responding to her in the common language as though he had any idea what she was saying. Similarly, when Tegryn, Alagedh, or Hergest would occasionally join them for their jovial times spent together in any of the many gardens, it thrilled the Hobbits to no end to listen to the four prattle on in the musical lyrics of their heritage. 

It was in the early afternoon of the fourth day since the Hobbits' arrival to Imladris that Emerald decided to set aside her morning's reading and join them and her brothers and Alagedh out on one of the verandas to let the sun warm their skin and the breeze tickle their cheeks. Fading summer blossoms still lingered around them, and the soothing scent of water, of petals, of leaves and bark wrapped around them like soft and gentle cloak, shutting them inside a world of their own as they prattled on about kingdoms by the sea and cozy homes tucked into hills. 

It was here that Mithrandir found them to report with a grin that Frodo had awoken for a time, though he had since fallen back asleep. Emerald leapt up as though to run off and talk to him that very instant, but Mithrandir shook his head and insisted Frodo needed his rest, though perhaps he would be awake by that evening and Emerald could talk to him at the feast. 

The afternoon seemed to drag on for Emerald as she anticipated meeting brave little Frodo for the first time, for she had heard somewhat of their adventures from Merry, Pippin, and Sam, and was eager to hear from the fourth Hobbit of the party. Likewise, she realized she hadn't yet taken the opportunity to sit down with Aragorn but for a few moments the previous day, a shame since she was making it a habit to talk for as long as she could with as many guests as she could, and he was definitely one of the more interesting. She had slowly been populating a list with questions for him about why he wasn't in Gondor, whether he realized he was the rightful king or not, if he had any plans of returning there at all, or whether he planned on being simply a ranger for the rest of his life. Not that there was anything wrong to be found with rangers, of course, and as Beven had pointed out to her in one of their frequent late morning meetings, the rangers were all basically the descendents of the old kings. Nonetheless, it seemed a pitiful existence for a man who rightfully deserved to be ruling such a great kingdom as Gondor. 

When at last the time for the evening meal came, Alagedh and Hergest waited for Emerald outside of her room, whereas Tegryn was nowhere to be found, no doubt off cahorting with some fair resident of Imladris. Emerald took an arm each of her brother and her friend and allowed them to escort her to the main dining hall where the sweet aroma of so many foods hit her so fully in the face that she hurried to her seat to eat lest her stomach growl embarrassingly. 

Unfortunately for her hobbit friends' sake, she had been offered a seat at Lord Elrond's table and was not one to turn down such an honor, not when it meant she would hopefully be allowed the chance to meet Frodo more quickly, as well as eavesdrop on the conversations of numerous important people. She took her seat gracefully between Gildas and Hergest, and across from Alagedh who motioned to the chair to his right with a subtle glance. Emerald eased herself up a little from her chair to peek down and noted with an amused smile the stack of cushions placed therein, perhaps for a little Hobbit not quite tall enough to reach the table on his own. 

Her curiosity was soon answered when the very little Hobbit she had seen lying so incapacitated in bed several days before was led shyly into the hall and shown to the chair, whereupon he clambered onto the cushions and looked around with such wide, curious eyes that Emerald feared they would pop from their sockets. His eyes rested longest on the Elves, she noticed, and when it came her turn to be observed, she turned her face to listen thoroughly as Gildas gave her news he had received of their home, allowing herself to be studied without the embarrassment for Frodo of recognizing his stare. When Gildas at length stopped talking, she found that Frodo's attention had turned so raptly to his food that she dared not disturb him and instead focused on her own plate piled high with the sweetest and strongest of delicacies that Imladris had to offer. She even noticed with an amused smile that someone in the kitchen, perhaps the oldest cook that she visited most often, had recalled her fondness for parsnips, something not usually found in Imladris, and slipped a small helping onto her plate during preparations. 

When at last Frodo seemed to have gained his fill, pesky Gloin beside him captured his attention, so Emerald once again failed to get her introduction. Nevertheless, she kept herself occupied with eavesdropping on Gloin's news of the dwarven world, as well as carrying on hushed, amusing conversations with Hergest and Alagedh that, though probably not entirely appropriate at such an evening meal, had the three sharing subtle, snickering glances every so often. Alagedh particularly seemed delighted to find himself invited into the conspirator circle that was usually reserved for the three youngest children of King Orwig, but seeing as Tegryn was nowhere to be found and Alagedh would have been left out by himself between Frodo and some unknown resident of Imlradris that Emerald had seen but not met, invited he was. 

The food was finally tucked away, bellies full and round, and so those in the dining hall rose to travel across the House to the Hall of Fire. Emerald rose and was bent on catching Frodo before he disappeared, but she removed her eyes from him only for a second and he was lost in the maze of people, and so she had to be content to slip her arm through Arwen's and walk with the fair lady to the new venue for celebration. She considered asking where Aragorn was, but Arwen seemed so uncharacteristically glum that Emerald dared not breach a subject she knew was a tender one. 

Once in the hall, she took a seat first at Arwen's side, and was just about to broach some sort of conversation when suddenly Bilbo, who had spent this feast like all others alone in the Hall of Fire, contemplating thoughts only Hobbits could think, motioned for her to come over. Normally she would have hesitated going to him in order to seek out what was ailing Arwen so, but Arwen pointed out the gesture and suggested she might want to go meet Frodo, since she had yet to do so. Emerald smiled and hurried over to the small collection of Hobbits just as Bilbo was once again explaining to Elrond that he had been thinking, not sleeping, on a new song that was now horribly interrupted by their early end to the feasting and probably forgotten forever. 

"Oh, Father Bilbo, so dramatic," Emerald teased, gliding gracefully down onto the ground beside his tiny chair. 

Bilbo grinned and insisted, "This from you, my beautiful child! If someone will fetch my Dunedain, he will help me finish the song. But you, Lady, of all people, teasing me." 

Emerald laughed, then turned to Frodo and insisted, "I am sure dear Frodo would agree with me." 

Frodo had been watching her with an amazed stare that quickly changed to embarrassment when she turned to him, and he blushed as he agreed, "Uncle Bilbo is definitely one for the dramatics... But I'm afraid you know my name, but I don't know yours." 

"Why, this here is Princess Emerald, the only daughter of King Orwig of Arathilien and an acquaintance you would do well to make, Frodo," Bilbo answered before she got a chance, patting her hand with his withered old fingers. "But be wary, too, for this little sprite can get into disasters worse than those pesky Tooks and Brandybucks. Princess here is an honorary Baggins, I believe; she has the curiosity for it, to be sure." 

Frodo's face turned only redder as Emerald held her hand out, and though she had meant for him to shake it, he kissed her fingers, then nearly collapsed as he wondered if he had done the right thing. 

Emerald laughed a light, chiming laugh that fascinated Frodo, and he continued to watch her in wonder as she assured him, "It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Frodo Baggins, for I have heard much of you both from your friends and those who only know your name. But come, you are seeing you dear Uncle Bilbo for the first time in quite some time, and do not let me intrude on your reunion. I shall go find your Dunedain, Father Bilbo, for I think everyone else has shut their ears to your request." That said, she rose and quitted the Hall, leaving Frodo speechless and flustered in her absence while Bilbo just laughed and called for her to hurry. 

She found Aragorn without much searching. He had skipped the feast, apparently to spend his evening sitting out on the very bench Emerald herself often selected, the one that gazed out over the river with the best view and received the coolest and sweetest of breezes. Though her steps were silent, Aragorn noted her approach once she was within a few feet of him, and sent a casual glance over his shoulder. 

"Ah, Princess," he greeted with a courteous nod of his head. 

She returned with a slight curtsy, then explained, "Bilbo has sent me to retrieve you to help him finish a song. Frodo is with him, as well." 

"Is he?" Aragorn grinned, though it was a sad, stormy grin. 

Emerald nodded, waited a moment, then slipped down on the bench beside him and commented, "You are rather cloudy tonight. Are you all right?" 

"I'm fine," Aragorn answered. 

"I don't believe you." 

"I am fine," he repeated. "Just, these are heavy times. You of all people know that, Lady." 

Emerald nodded, "Yes, I do. And it is easy, if you think too much about what might happen, to feel like you've jumped into the river and gotten your foot stuck on a root so that you can't get back to the surface to catch your breath." Aragorn would have been lying if he denied his surprise at hearing such an accurate description of how he felt coming from the young Princess of Arathilien. She felt his surprise and it made her smile as she patted his hand and explained, "And that is why we must take nights like tonight for what they are." 

"And what is that?" he asked as though he was humoring her, though his curiosity was genuine. 

"A breath of air before we have to dive back under." 

He stared at her for a long moment, studying her face, then gave a genuine grin and put his hand on top of hers that patted his, saying, "You, Lady Emerald, are something else. That someone like you should be in this world when we face such times ahead gives me hope." 

"Well if I can bring hope to one person, then I suppose I have done my job, Elessar," she smiled back, and had stood and motioned for him to follow before he considered what name she had called him. Elessar. Hope. The name his mother had used when she handed him over to Elrond. 

Back in the Hall of Fire, Bilbo was thrilled to see Aragorn, as was Frodo, and after a brief discussion about Aragorn's seemingly endless list of nomenclature, Bilbo was persuaded to sing his song amid the cheers and friendly encouragement of the mostly-Elven guests. Emerald took a seat with Pippin, Merry, Alagedh, and Hergest, letting her head fall onto Hergest's shoulder until he poked her in the side and demanded to know why she was acting so tired. 

"It's hard work meddling in the affairs of others," she laughed, then shushed him as Bilbo began to chant, his foreign voice wrapping around Emerald and taking hold of her so that she couldn't have given anything else her attention had she wanted to. 

Once Bilbo had finished, there were shouts for an encore, but Bilbo declined –to the surprise of everyone. However, his reasons soon became clear when, moments after another Elf, Lindin, began a new song, Bilbo and Frodo made their silent retreat from the Hall of Fire, leaving the rest of the revelers to their breath of fresh air. 

Emerald rose and danced around the room for a bit, laughing and singing to the songs as she took Sam's hands and swung around the floor with him, or let Beven pick her up and swing her in the air. When at last she, too, had danced and sung enough, she found she wasn't quite ready to dive back underwater, and so settled down beside Beven as a new song picked up. Though she was intent on listening to the words that poured from Aragorn's mouth like flattering compliments to a fair lady, she found her eyelids suddenly weighed down with the weight of a dozen oliphaunts and, unable to keep them open any longer in the strange close-eyed sleep of the Elves of Arathilien, let her head fall onto Beven's shoulder as she drifted into a helplessly deep slumber. 

"Do you recognize your people?" 

"What?" Emerald asked. 

The girl giggled and put her fingers to her mouth, her blonde curls bouncing as she repeated, "Do you recognize your people?" 

"There's no one here but us," Emerald pointed out, glancing around them. The patio had perhaps a dozen stone chairs seated in a circle around a stone pillar with a smooth marbled top. Emerald ran her fingers over the cool surface, then repeated, pointing at the empty chairs, "We're all alone here." 

"Ah, but we won't be for long. Soon you will hear so many words that your ears won't know which to listen to and which to disregard, and it is then you will have to recognize your people." 

"What people?" Emerald cried, and suddenly she remembered this girl, she remembered this question, she remembered this frustration. 

The girl sighed and took a dainty seat on the edge of one of the chairs, "Your people. You'll know if you truly listen, but that's just the thing. You must listen to everything that's being said. Don't just hear it, listen, and trust what you know is right, and argue with what you know is wrong." 

"Are you talking about the Council? I'm not supposed to go, I don't think." 

"No, you aren't," the girl agreed. "You are an Elven princess. A Council to decide such heavy matters is no place for an Elven princess..." 

Her words seemed to beg an addition, so Emerald gave a small smile and concluded, "Which means it is exactly where I must be." 

"Your people will help you," the girl assured her. "However, there will come a time when even your people cannot help you. Only you will be able to help yourself, and you must trust yourself, even when you are not sure." Emerald frowned and recalled Legolas of Mirkwood telling her so emphatically only a few days before that she would never be without someone to protect her. He was wrong, and she knew it. 

The girl, Váromë, Emerald recalled, took Emerald's hand and asked, "Have you still got the flower I gave you?" Emerald saw that it had been placed on a chair and picked it up. Váromë took it from her and clipped Emerald's hair back from her face with it the way a mother would, then assured her, "You will wear this someday, though I am not allowed to say where. Or perhaps I do not know. Do you believe in fate, Emerald?" 

"Papa always told me that you make your own fate," Emerald replied. 

Váromë smiled, "Then make your own fate, Emerald. Don't let anyone else choose your fate, and don't bend your fate to the wants and desires of others." 

"All right," Emerald shrugged. "I'm pretty strong-willed–" 

"Even when it hurts them," Váromë interrupted, taking Emerald's chin in her hand. Emerald looked in her serious blue eyes, then nodded with just as much seriousness. Yes, she was strong-willed, but she was also tender-hearted. She wasn't so sure she would be able to press her will if it meant hurting someone. "Do you remember that poem?" 

"The poem that isn't really a poem?" 

Váromë laughed and nodded, "Yes." 

"When Light goes forth, all Shadow shall be blinded and flee before it. Where Love is great, Hatred cannot enter. And where Hope stands proud, Despair shall not approach," Emerald recited. 

Váromë nodded again and grinned proudly, "Very good, Emerald. Do not forget it, and do not forget your people. And don't forget that you are a pretty girl, Emerald. Don't be afraid to make a few jaws drop to make happen what you know needs to happen." 

"Are you telling me to use the pretty-girl factor to manipulate?" Emerald laughed, throwing her head back in defiance of what her mother had always told her. 

Váromë took her hand and kissed her fingers, "I am telling you not to let your heart or mind be trapped in a young lady's body. You live in a patriarchal world... but perhaps you were not meant for this world." 

And suddenly Emerald was awake, her eyes wide open and glancing around the room. She hadn't fallen asleep here... so Beven must have carried her to bed. With a deep sigh, she shoved the covers off and looked down at herself, still fully clothed from the feast. However, that was of no concern. She quickly hurried to the book and tried to remember what Váromë had told her as she dipped her pen in the ink and wrote rapidly. When she had put down everything she remembered, she sat back and looked at it. 

The sun was beginning to rise outside the window, and it drew her like a moth to a flame. She rose from the chair and walked out onto the small balcony outside her room, and here let herself lean on the railing and enjoy the smell of the fresh morning air, of the good-morning chatters of the brook, of the sleepy rustle of the leaves. 

With a deep sigh, she shook her head, "One way or another, I need to be at that council." 


	16. Chapter 16

Despite the impending council, the House of Elrond seemed to be rising late, and as Emerald darted through the ivory archways and under the sweeping boughs of the intruding trees, she felt the lazy morning sun, the slow morning breeze, the sleepy morning birds' songs affecting her as well, slowing her fluttering heart down and calming her mind. It was a beautiful morning, after all, and she found herself constantly distracted by sights or sounds along her path. And a winding path it was. 

Her plan basically consisted of hiding somewhere near the Council to listen, and hopefully no one would notice her. Simplistic as it was, she could think of nothing better, and so there was nothing to do but kill time, which she did by visiting the kitchens for a sweet roll and a moment's conversation, by wandering through the halls to see who was up and about (nobody in the mood to chat, that was for sure), by leaning against the railing and gazing down at the noisy, bubbling river below. 

And then at last, after what felt an eternity of waiting, she heard it, the clear, crisp chime of the bell announcing the call to the Council. She glanced around to see if anyone had noticed the start she gave at the sound, but though she could hear the footsteps and nearby voices of Mithrandir, Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam, there was no one paying any attention to her. Good. She slipped her cloak on over her head, then took small, silent steps through the twisting pathways to the cleared platform where the Council was to be held. 

During her morning walk, she had casually scouted a nice, cozy little corner from which she would be able to see and hear everything, and yet remain unseen and unheard by anyone else, and it was to here she directed herself. However, she was forced to take a more creative, longer route, having not considered the fact that she would not be the only one headed towards the Council. So she fell back and waited and listened until the few scattered introductions were over, until the murmuring and shuffling and clearing of throats quieted. 

"Here is Boromir, a man from the South. He arrived in the grey morning, and seeks for counsel. I have bidden him to be present, for here his questions will be answered." 

Emerald felt a shiver run up her spine but shook it from her mind as she ducked beneath the low foliage and shoved her way to the corner. She could think about it later –right now she just needed to listen. She reached forward to shove the last low bush out of the way when– foiled! Her spot had already been snabbed by one Samwise Gamgee who turned wide, frightened eyes to her at her touch and nearly jumped out of his skin. 

"Oh–" he started to say, but she held a finger up to her lips and he nodded solemnly, then scooted forward to silently make room for her. It was cozy, but they both fit, and from here she had a mostly clear view of the entire circle, save for the two chairs that rose up directly in front of their hiding place. As Gloin, after encouragement from Lord Elrond, began to expound on the troubles of the Dwarves –dug too deep, unleashed some creature, dwarves scared to enter; Emerald didn't care too much– she instead studied the motley crew assembled to discuss the fate of Middle Earth. Her own brothers were present, even Hergest and Tegryn who could neither really be trusted to assume responsibility for anything. The three sat amid Elrond's sons and Glorfindel, who through Gloin's speech sent continuous –perhaps unamused or unconcerned– glances to Galdor beside him. Aragorn looked dark and alone in his chair, his chin resting in his fingers, either in deep thought or extreme boredom. Three of Elrond's counselors followed: Halyin, Imnen, and Rolyad, and then the head of the counselors, Erestor, on Elrond's right, though Emerald couldn't for the life of her decide why wise Lord Elrond, of all people, should need _four_ counselors. On the other side of Elrond, poor little Frodo perched on the end of his monstrous chair, his long, stubby feet dangling clumsily in the air and his clammy hands clasped politely but anxiously in his lap as he listened. Mithrandir seemed well aware of the discomfort of the hobbit on his right, while Uncle Bilbo on his left seemed right at home in the ring and nodded his head with understanding as Gloin continued to ramble on beside him, turning occasionally to his son for support. Serving as a buffer between the dwarves and Elves sat a man Emerald recognized from her dreams and she matched the face with the name Elrond had spoken during the introductions that she did not recognize: Boromir of Gondor. She wondered that she did not know him, for Arathilien had once been quite close with her sister harbour city Gondor... but then that had been years before, in a time when Denethor did not occupy the throne. And finally, finishing up the circle, sat Legolas of Mirkwood and then Alagedh. 

It was when she glanced at Alagedh that she saw his dark eyes staring back at her, and, though for a moment she doubted, when he raised an eyebrow, she knew she had been caught. She motioned for him to keep quiet, but his stare attracted the innocent attention of Legolas beside him, and, fearing lest the whole circle should grow aware of hers and Sam's presence, she motioned for them to ignore her. Both shifted uncomfortably in their seats, unaware that the other saw her as well, then looked guiltily away, hoping they hadn't given up her secret already. 

At the name of Sauron, Emerald's attention turned back to the monologue at hand, and she listened with more interest as Gloin announced that a rider from Mordor had visited some dwarven lord Dain twice in the past year to offer him friendship and the return of three of the Dwarven rings in exchange for information on the hobbits and/or the return of the small token one of them carried. Emerald made a face at the trade off –surely any half-wit would know better than to make dealings with Sauron– and nodded encouragingly when Gloin assured the Council that the dwarves had yet to agree and that he had been sent to inform Bilbo of the search for him and inquire why such a token was being sought by the treacherous Sauron. 

Emerald felt her chest tighten as Elrond assured him and everyone else seated around that their questions would all be answered before the day was out: "That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find counsel for the peril of the world..." Alagedh's eyes were not the only pair trained on Emerald, and though Elrond's eyes seemed unable to find her in the mess of leaves and stems, she had no doubt he saw her. She pursed her lips to keep silent. 

The next great length of time was spent in silence by all save Lord Elrond, who launched into an abridged yet adequate account of the forging of the Rings of Power, of the deceit of Sauron, of the journey of the One Ring after its creation. He told of Numenor, of its glory days and its fall, of the return of the men kings to Middle Earth, of Gondor and Arnor and the constant attacks from Mordor, and then the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the host of Gil-galad and Elendil. 

Though Emerald knew all of this from too many hours spent reading and researching and asking questions, it somehow seemed fresh to her spilling forth from Elrond's lips in its purest form, some of it first-hand, others merely the wisdom of a seemingly omnipotent being. At Frodo's questioning of dates –he was an observant little thing, to be sure– Elrond explained his own role as herald of Gil-galad during the great war, and himself seeing the fall of Elendil alongside the –to note: temporary– fall of Sauron, and the changing of the One Ring from the dark lord's hands to that of Elendil's son, Isildur. 

This was apparently news to Boromir of Gondor, the region of which Elendil and then Isildur had been king, and he reacted with surprise, though fell again quiet when Elrond continued to explain further the results of the war: the disappearance of the One Ring after it betrayed Elendil to his death, the division of the men, the darkening days of Gondor, and the merely subdued power of Sauron. 

He finally finished with a tired sweep of his eyes around the circle, "And there shall I leave off, for what came of the Ring after the days of Isildur is beyond my personal knowledge, and in its journey since then I have played but a small part." 

He fell silent, but the pause lasted only a moment before the man Boromir leapt up and, politely asking Elrond's permission, subsequently launched into a far too detailed account that Emerald, with a roll of her eyes summed up in a few seconds: Mordor was gaining power and attacking Gondor and there were lots of battles. She adjusted to get more comfortable in her hidden position and smiled as Sam leaned back against her, growing weary with the talk of which he understood just enough to be confused. 

It was when Boromir recited a poem that he had heard in a dream, though, that a true grin captured Emerald's face, a grin of self-satisfaction –everything was playing out just like she had expected: 

_Seek for the sword that was broken:  
In Imladris it dwells;  
There shall be counsels taken  
Stronger than Morgul-spells.  
There shall be shown a token  
That Doom is near at hand,  
For Isildur's Bane shall waken,  
And the Halfling forth shall stand."_

Emerald didn't realize she had been mouthing the words along with him until she caught Alagedh's wide-eyed stare. She shook her head and pointed for him to stop looking at her, but she could feel the concern for her welling up inside him alongside the confusion. 

And then came a minor moment that made Emerald's heart leap into her throat with excitement as Aragorn shoved himself out of his chair, stood tall and proud, and cast onto the stone podium two halves of a shattered sword, announcing, "Here is the Sword that was broken!" 

Boromir cast a suspicious glance at him, then looked to Elrond as the host beat Aragorn replying to Boromir's question, "This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and descendent of Isildur. He is Chief of the Dunedain of the North and–" 

"Then this is yours, not mine at all!" Frodo suddenly cried, jumping up and pulling at the chain around his neck. 

Aragorn shook his head and motioned with his hand, "It belongs not to you nor I, but has been placed in your care for a time." 

Mithrandir placed a reassuring hand on Frodo's back and encouraged, "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," and gave him a tender shove forward. Frodo hesitated only a moment before slipping the chain over his head and holding it up above his head for all at the Council to see, and there it hung for several long moments, eyes widened with awe and fear studying it from all sides. 

Once the immediate shock of the Ring had worn off, Boromir was the one to break the silence, setting off a whole new line of discussion in very vague terms as to Aragorn's life and whether his heritage was truly that of the line of Isildur. It was another boring debate that Emerald had little care for, and so she leaned her head back to stare up at the faint glimpses of sky granted through the leaves sheltering her from view and the trees up above. Honestly, could everyone not just get to the point? Were she allowed, she would leap right in there, tell everyone what was what, and then inform them of the only action plausible: the Ring must be destroyed. End of discussion. What was the point of even _having_ a discussion? 

Unfortunately for Emerald's attention span, it was next Bilbo's turn to recite what he knew, this time answering Boromir's question about how the Ring had from Isildur's possession into Frodo's, explaining his own part in the play. It was the same story she had heard only a short time before, and so she closed her eyes and let her mind wander down any path it chose to pass the time until Frodo at last spoke up. 

What Frodo had to say was new to her, and though now Sam appeared somewhat bored, Emerald listened with rapt interest to what Merry and Pippin had not understood enough to tell her, about the flight from his home in the Shire, about the Old Forest and their nearly fatal encounter with the Barrow-Wrights had it not been for the help of Tom Bombadil, a jolly old soul that Emerald had never heard of who apparently resided in the Old Forest, to meeting Aragorn (Frodo referred to him as Strider), and the chase the "Black Riders" (those would be Ringwraiths, Emerald assumed) from Bree to Weathertop where Frodo received his wound, and then on to Rivendell. The only thing Emerald really gleaned from the whole story was that Sauron must no longer be concerned with her if he was sending his Ringwraiths after Frodo; he knew now that she didn't have the ring and that Frodo did. 

"But what of Saruman? Why is he not here with us?" Galdor asked once Frodo's tale had been picked to pieces with questions. "And what proof have we that this ring is truly the Ring of Sauron?" 

Mithrandir cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his chair as he answered, "Those questions, dear Galdor, are more closely related than you think." 

Emerald frowned as the sullen, hollow face of Saruman came to her mind. It had been many years since she had seen him and yet she still remembered every knot on his fingers, every dark spot on his face, every nerve-biting laugh. She listened with a critical ear as Mithrandir explained Saruman's passive role in the past troubles with Sauron throughout which he had continually insisted that the Ring would never be found, that it had rolled into the Great Sea and there would forever remain with no intrusion from Sauron. 

Aragorn joined Mithrandir in explaining the ensuing hunt for Gollum, but their hunt at the time had been unsuccessful and Mithrandir instead spoke about testing the Ring to decide if it truly were the one. He pointed out how though the Nine rings for the kings of men, the Seven rings for the dwarven lords, and the Three for the Elves all had their gems, the One was left simple and unadorned. Emerald smiled to herself and shook her head: the Elven rings, she knew, had one a ruby, one a sapphire, and one a diamond, but the poor emerald had been left out in the making, and for that she felt a mistake had been made. 

However, it was not the time to think of such childish things, and Emerald forced herself to listen. The tale continued that Aragorn had then found Gollum by chance and taken him to the elves in Mirkwood as he and Mithrandir had agreed, and it was there that Mithrandir learned of where and how Gollum had come into the Ring, and then that he hurried to test the Ring in the fire. 

When he spoke the words that had appeared on the thin gold band once being held in the flame, Emerald's heart dropped, not at the dark power in his voice, but at the familiar words, the words the Ring had chanted in her dream, "_Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thraatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul_" Worse still, though, was that as his voice boomed around the circle, ringing in every ear, Emerald heard a dark whisper in her ear as though an insect had come too close and landed on the point to buzz its wings, "_One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them._" It wasn't until the whisper in her ear had stopped that she heard Gandalf translate the words for the rest of the circle several feet away, and her breath caught in her throat that she should understand the words without any understanding whatsoever of such a dark tongue. 

Such a worry caught Emerald off-guard, and she remained motionless and breathless until Legolas of Mirkwood suddenly cried out, "Alas! I fear it is time I put forth the dark tidings I was sent to bring, though I have only now come to understand how evil they truly are. Smeagol, whom you call Gollum, has escaped!" 

Emerald's frown deepened; she, too, hadn't considered just how unfortunate Gollum's escape was, though it still seemed to her the least of their worries. As Legolas was hounded about how Gollum had managed to escape from what was supposed to be a close and careful guard, Emerald wondered at the first-hand details he seemed to give of the following hunt, and wondered if Legolas himself hadn't been one of the guards to reach Dol Goldur and turn away. If so, she suddenly frowned at his cowardice; he had let his fear allow an important prisoner to escape! Mithrandir's apparent lack of concern didn't appease her, either. 

He, instead, turned to Galdor and changed the line of conversation, "And now I shall answer the second half of your question, or rather the first, concerning Saruman, for as of now, only Elrond knows of it." And though this naturally perked her interest so that she sat up straighter, she shifted uncomfortably at the way Mithrandir, in the chair to the right of her, turned his head to the side to look in her direction, as though to make sure she had brought her attention back to the council. 

So Emerald obeyed and paid close attention as Mithrandir spoke of learning that the Black Riders were searching for the Shire from Radagast the Brown, a dear friend of Emerald's, and that Saruman had offered his assistance if it was so desired. Emerald wondered at Mithrandir's ability to recall his and Saruman's conversation seemingly word for word, and rolled her eyes at the information that Saruman had changed from Saruman the White to Saruman of Many Colors. 

Emerald's casual observance, though, changed to horror as she heard of Saruman's invitation to Mithrandir to join him in using the Ring to create a new Power, a Power to defeat Sauron and rule Middle Earth. Was he _crazy_? Emerald could hardly believe what Mithrandir was saying, and yet she knew Saruman, she had always known Saruman, and his turn to a dark side, every bit as dark, perhaps, as Sauron, came as no surprise. Even worse, according to Mithrandir, Saruman was mustering an army of his own built of wolves and orcs –werewolves? The thought flashed across Emerald's mind, and though it had indeed been the eye of Sauron on the werewolf's clothing, who was to say it had not been running an errand for Saruman? Could not it have jumped allegiances as Saruman was now doing? 

Mithrandir was still speaking, and Emerald forced herself to leave her horror of Saruman and listen. She managed a small smile as Mithrandir spoke of the honesty of Radagast –he was truly a good being– and of Mithrandir's rescue from the top of the tower of Orthanc by Gwaihir the Windlord of the Great Eagles. She wished she might someday meet one of the Great Eagles, perhaps Gwaihir himself. 

From there, Mithrandir had ventured to Rohan to gain a steed, and though he shared that Rohan still paid its annual tribute of horses to Mordor –an action Emerald could neither understand nor condone– it was a relief that he insisted they were not yet on his side, despite their unfriendliness to him. Aragorn and Boromir argued for a moment over the loyalty of Rohan, and though Emerald found their frequent debates growing wearisome, Mithrandir quickly interrupted to finish his tale of his trip to the Shire where he learned of Frodo's departure from a Gamgee that Emerald assumed was related to Sam by the smile on his face at the name, then onwards to Bree where he learned from some man there, Butterbur, that the Hobbits had joined up with 'Strider', and then to Weathertop and then Rivendell. 

Mithrandir apologized for the length of his story, then glanced around the circle as he sighed, "Well, the Tale is now told, from first to last. Here we all are, and here is the Ring. But we have not yet come any nearer to our purpose. What shall we do with it?" 

.

_Starred quotes come directly from The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien, chapter three, the Council of Elrond_ Sorry there are so many stolen quotes in this chapter. It's mostly Elrond's lines, since some of my favorite lines of the entire trilogy are in this chapter and I didn't want to do away with them." 


	17. Chapter 17

Silence. 

No one spoke a word, and for that Emerald wanted to jump up and yell and curse them. Cowards! Fools! Why did they hesitate? Was it not obvious what must be done? If she, a sheltered little Elven Princess, could see so clearly what must be done, why could none of the great men, great lords, great warriors seated in the circle not see it as well? Sitting still for so long through so many monologues only to learn of the treachery of Saruman and the pressing need for action had gotten Emerald all riled up and she literally sat on her hands to keep from leaping into the very middle of the circle. 

Elrond finally broke the stillness, speaking of his lamentations at Saruman's turning, then bringing Tom Bombadil up again, expressing his regrets that he had not thought to summon him to the Council seeing as he was immune to the Rings charms or power, however one chose to look at it. 

It was suggested giving him the Ring for safe-keeping, but Elrond shook his head that Tom Bombadil would soon forget the importance of such a token and fail in his guard of it. Then Galdor asked if Middle-Earth had not the strength to fight the forces of Sauron. 

_"And Saruman, too?"_ Emerald wanted to demand, but she kept quiet. 

Elrond, though, was having the same thoughts, and shot down the suggestion. Glorfindel mentioned tossing it into the sea, and other such suggestion arose: find a dragon to swallow it, bury it, hide it deep in the Fangorn Forest. All of these were dispelled as well, though the sea took the most discussion to rule out. 

"What is now the sea might not forever be the sea," Mithrandir pointed out sagely. "And there are creatures in the deep that care not for our troubles." 

"If we cannot safely trust the sea, then what of the path to the Havens? Will not Sauron expect us of Elven blood to flee to the Sea when he hear of his rise and therefor attack? If only Gondor stands between the forces of Mordor and the rest of Middle Earth, it will not be long before Sauron and his darkness swallow everything, even the White Tower and Havens, if all is so hopeless." 

"I say it is not," Boromir insisted, sitting up straighter at mention of his kingdom. "If such a destruction is to take place, it will not for some time yet, for though you say Gondor is waning, she still stands, she still fights, and she is still strong." 

"Yet vigilance alone will not stay the Nine Riders, and they will choose other paths that Gondor does not guard." 

Emerald felt herself growing more and more restless by the moment. Everyone seemed to be skirting around the one solution; surely they were not all so oblivious! Surely Middle Earth was not entrusting its fate to this group of men who could not find the courage within themselves, or else the brains in their head, to draw the most obvious and the only conclusion. 

Her hopes were momentarily dashed, though she decided to give Boromir his chance as he rose from his chair and began speaking, "Why must we hide the Ring? This... this is a blessing! This is the strength you say we do not have! Why can we not _use_ the Ring to defeat the Dark Lord? This a blessing; why should we not grasp it with both hands?" 

Emerald let out a deep, disappointed sigh as Elrond shook his head, "No, the Ring answers to one master, and one master alone. We cannot bend it to our will, and to try to wield it as our weapon would only hasten our destruction, for the Ring cares not for any and its treachery would only destroy us." 

"Well if we cannot hide the Ring forever," Erestor summed up, and Emerald felt hope grow in her chest that here at last was the single sentence she had been waiting all along for. "If we cannot put the Ring out of the dark lord's reach for good, nor can we use it to defeat him... then what are we to do?" 

Emerald could take it no more. She didn't care any longer about what the consequences were going to be, or how angry the men were going to be, or how much trouble she was going to be in. 

With a frustrated cry, she leapt up from her hiding place and insisted loudly, angrily, impatiently, "The Ring must be taken to Mount Doom and destroyed!" 

For a long moment, not a word was spoken, and all eyes just stared at this intruder with surprise, at this eavesdropper, at this young girl who, though most knew and thought of fondly, was _not_ supposed to be anywhere near this Council. Emerald winced at the awkward silence, then wondered if maybe it wouldn't have been wiser just to approach Elrond and whisper into his ear what needed to be done instead of jumping out, sword flashing. After all, she was a jumble of secrets lately, and perhaps she and all she knew, and the fact that she knew anything all, were supposed to stay secret. She was supposed to know her enemies, and she didn't know yet whether everyone in this Council was a friend, yet that reminded her of Váromë's insistence that she needed to be at this Council, that she needed to be heard, and that she needed to do whatever was necessary to _be_ heard. 

Gildas was finally the one to break the silence, stuttering out, "Wh– Emerald, what in Valar's name are you doing here?" 

"I was listening," she admitted honestly. "You can't call a top secret meeting and not expect me to listen in. Besides, half of you knew I was here anyways." Apparently Gildas had not been one of them, though, nor Boromir. When Emerald interrupted whatever Gildas moved to say next with, "And truly, after listening to you all talk for hours, I'm concerned either for the lack of courage or the lack of common sense." She had meant for her words to hit the pride she knew everyone in the circle possessed; perhaps that would move them to action, and it did. "Since none of you are willing, I'll be the one to say it: the Ring must be destroyed. It can't be hidden or wielded, and I would think you men would have figured that out during the past–" 

Boromir interrupted with a wounded growl that she had targeted his suggestion in particular and barked out, "Speak naught of what you know naught about!" His words caught Emerald off-guard, especially since in her dream, it had not been he that said them. 

Nonetheless, she quickly recovered, and was about to make a witty retort when Lord Elrond raised his hand for silence and, when that had been attained, insisted, "It is no matter who has or has not made the suggestion, only that such a path is the only one left to us. It is indeed true that the Ring must be destroyed, and that the only way to do so is to take the Ring to the very fires in which it was forged." 

"To destroy the Ring... to do so is to take the path of despair, or else the path of folly," Glorfindel argued, shaking his head. "To even find the Fires, much less get the Ring there..." Emerald felt like replying, but she had done enough for the moment, and since the startle around her presence had momentarily calmed, she quietly stepped back to stand between Frodo and Elrond, feeling as though Elrond was her only ally in the entire Council. 

Mithrandir surprised her, though, by replying as though reading her mind, "It is neither despair nor folly, Glorfindel. Despair is only for those who decide their fate before they have reached it, and that we have not done." Though it was quick, the glance he sent Emerald as he said this melted her heart, and she let out a deep breath that her ally count was up to two. "And folly... if it is so, let us use it for our disguise, to hide us from the eyes of our enemy! He is wise and calculative, and perhaps he cannot understand the impulsive or the seemingly foolish." 

His words made Emerald smile, and, the adrenaline soaring through her system, she raised her chin higher in the hair, for that was her job he had spoken of. Whatever her part in this tale, whatever her role in the destruction of the Ring, she had the foolish and impulsive part down pat. 

"He is deceitful and power hungry, and so he understands only deceit and a desire for power, so we shall throw in his way decency and honesty and strength of heart." 

Emerald bit her lip with excitement and glanced around the circle, but no one else seemed to share her enthusiasm, and so she squelched the smile from her face and looked back to Elrond as he spoke, "It will not be an easy road, not by anyone's measure, and yet it is the road that must be taken. Neither strength nor wisdom will make the difference, though, and perhaps secrecy and subtlety will turn the eyes of the great elsewhere." He looked at Emerald as he said this, and suddenly she felt her cheeks flush and she looked down to the ground as his indirect scolding. The adrenaline left her system as quickly as it had come and she felt her lungs deflate with disappointment. He supported her suggestion, but not her presentation. 

After not even a moment's pause, old Uncle Bilbo gave a tender shake of his head and insisted suddenly, "There, there, you need say no more. I see what it is that all are pointing at. It was I that started this whole ordeal, and so it is I that must finish it. I had thought to close off the last chapter of my book, and yet it looks as though there are more chapters still to come. No matter, though. I will do what I must do; when ought I begin?" 

There was a momentary pause of surprise and disbelief from all those in the circle, and Emerald felt like rushing to sweet Uncle Bilbo's side as Mithrandir finally put words to the looks of admiration and somber respect, "Dear Bilbo, had you truly started this whole affair, then it might be left to you to finish. However, the wheels are far to large to have been set in motion by any one person, and in the carrying out of any deed, every hero may only play one small role. You have played your part, dear Bilbo, and now finish your book, do not add more chapters! It has passed on to others, and only save yourself to write the sequel when they come back." 

Bilbo smiled and seemed somewhat relieved alongside his disappointment, "Well, Gandalf, I believe that is the first pleasant advice you have ever given me. Perhaps I am too old and without any of the luck I once had... The Ring has grown but I have not... But, dear Gandalf, whatever do you mean by _they_?" 

It was at those words that Mithrandir looked to Elrond and Elrond look to Mithrandir, and Emerald thought it was no coincidence that she was caught in the middle of their stares, and any doubt at all was erased when Elrond recited, "You may know of coming doom but be brave, little one, for as sure as flowers bloom, the battles just begun." 

"What? What's is _that_ supposed to mean?" Boromir demanded, crossing his arms. 

"The messengers who are to be sent with the Ring. Those are 'they'." 

"Well exactly my point," Bilbo agreed, nodding his old head. "But don't you know who _they_ are? That seems to me the only question left us, yet I am quite weary of speech and need my sustenance; I have not the endurance of the Dwarves or Elves. So might you think of some names now, or mayhap put it off until after we have dined?" 

Silence fell. Emerald had expected Gandalf or Elrond to say something –or perhaps they were waiting for her to speak? After all, she was supposed to be the informer, wasn't she? And yet she hadn't the faintest idea who was supposed to accompany the Ring to Mordor. Was _she_? Was it her responsibility to step forward, accept the Ring as her burden, and possibly die taking it? 

She raised her eyes from the ground to see that no other eyes were looking up to meet hers except one set, those of Alagedh directly across from her. As she opened her mouth to speak, his eyes widened and he shook his head fervently, and though that wouldn't have stopped her, it delayed her just long enough for everyone to hear the soft, timid voice from beside her: 

"I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way." 

All eyes immediately jumped to the small Hobbit, and though Emerald felt her heart leap in to her throat that such a sweet, innocent creature should take on such a task, she suddenly turned her head to Elrond and whispered, "A hobbit comes to save the earth." 

Whether he had any clue at all what she was talking about, whether he realized she had suddenly remembered the next line of the poem was unclear, but he looked past her to Frodo with sharp eyes and nodded sadly, "If all that I have heard is clear to me, this task has been appointed to you, Frodo, even before you set foot in Imladris, and if you do not find a way, no one will. Now has come the time of the Shire-folk, when the Great will look to the Meek for rescue. But this is a heavy burden you undertake, Frodo, one that I could not lay on anyone. Only if you take it freely will I agree and say that, were all the mighty and the brave of ancient times brought together, your seat would be golden among them." 

A sudden commotion from the very corner Emerald had earlier vacated brought the attention of the Council once again to an intruder as sweet little Sam leapt up and insisted, "But he won't go off to Mordor alone, will he, Master Elrond?" 

"No indeed," Elrond assured him, turning to the Hobbit a tender smile that Emerald envied; all she had got was indirect scolding for _her_ intrusion. "He shall at least have the company of you, for it seems not a thing can separate you two, not even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." 

Sam tried to give Frodo an encouraging smile, though it was obvious his own doubts and fears were suddenly bubbling up in his mind, but Emerald was suddenly tired of this whole Council thing. It was over anyways, so as the noon-bell rang, and seeing as there were not going to be any more decisions for the time being, not if Elrond and Gandalf were expecting her to provide a list of names as she feared they were, she turned on her heal and strode off before any of her brothers, Alagedh, Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, or any of the others could directly scold her for anything. 

_Starred quotes come directly from The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien, chapter three, the Council of Elrond_ Sorry there are so many stolen quotes in this chapter. It's mostly Elrond's lines, since some of my favorite lines of the entire trilogy are in this chapter and I didn't want to do away with them." 


	18. Chapter 18

Emerald was fast in leaving the Council, but Gildas and Alagedh were just as fast, and she had hardly set foot into one of the gardens, where she thought to spend some time in thought, before Gildas grabbed her arm and spun her around, demanding, "Emerald! What... what were you _thinking_? That was a secret council that–" 

"Half the people there knew I was there and didn't care." 

"Who knew you were there?" 

"Lord Elrond, Mithrandir, Legolas of Mirkwood," Emerald returned sharply, leaving it to Alagedh to condemn himself when he admitted, "I knew she was there." 

Both expected Gildas to turn on him for not making her leave the moment he had discovered her presence, but instead Gildas nodded, "It was good of you not to give away her behavior, though she did that on her own. Listening was bad enough, but what were you thinking, jumping into the middle and throwing commands around like that?" 

"I was thinking that I would say what no one else was willing to say." 

"Did you ever think about why no one was willing to say it? Because destroying it means a suicide mission for whoever volunteers to take it–" 

"And Frodo was the only one man enough to do that," Emerald retorted, crossing her arms and looking at him critically. Not that she had expected any Elves to step forward for such a journey, not to protect a world that she had heard them speak of soon leaving entirely. 

Nonetheless, her words struck a target inside Gildas, and he snapped back, "You've no place to speak. You don't understand the circumstances, little girl. Before you go judging the actions of others, consider the fact that you never have and never will have to lift a finger to fight or defend yourself." 

"I was going to offer to take the Ring–" she started to say, but Alagedh interrupted, stepping forward to insist, "Just please stay out of all of this, Lady Emerald." 

"Yes, do," Gildas agreed, nodding his head. "These types of things should be left to the men. They aren't for you to–" 

Emerald motioned in the air with her hand for him to stop talking, and it surprised him into silence long enough for her to demand, "Why do you think we even _came_ to Rivendell, Gildas?" As soon as she had said it, though, she remembered: subtlety, secrecy. No one was supposed to know how much she knew. 

"To keep you safe since our kingdom was under attack," Gildas retorted. "So don't go diving into trouble here." 

"Yes, we came _here_ of all places, here to the heart of the–" 

"Resistance," he argued. "There's no fighting taking place, only discussing. So stay out of it and just stay safe." 

"The Ring is here, Gildas. Where do you think Sauron's going to turn his attention once the Riders report to him?" 

Gildas could see Emerald had an answer for everything, but he wasn't about to agree with his little sister that she had done the right thing in putting the men in their place, and so in a final desperate act to reclaim control, he informed her snippily, "Fine. We leave in the morning." 

Silence. Emerald just stared at him for a moment, then cast a disbelieving look to an equally surprised Alagedh before demanding, "_What_?" 

"We leave for home in the morning, and yes, you're coming. I don't care if I have to tie you to my saddle to get you there." 

"But... but..." Emerald was, for one of the few times in her life, speechless. There was no way she could go back to Arathilien, not right now! And yet she also couldn't explain to Gildas why it was so important for her to stay in Imladris. So, unable to say anything that would change his mind, Emerald turned on her heel and stormed off in a decisive pout. 

Once she had put enough distance between them to keep from being heard, she shook her head, "Gildas, Gildas. When have I ever let you boss me around?" 

Unfortunately, though Gildas was some distance away, Lord Elrond and Aragorn had just rounded the corner and, hearing these words from Emerald, inquired casually, "Is everything all right, Lady?" 

"Just ducky," she replied with a sigh. Then, not wanting to alarm them that Gildas was going to try to make her leave, she shrugged, "Gildas is just angry with me for listening in at the Council." 

"Yes, well it was rather foolish to jump into the middle like that," Aragorn pointed out with an uncritical shake of his head. "Just because most of us knew you were there didn't mean we wanted to admit we condoned you listening." 

"I know," Emerald sighed. "I know. I need to be more about subtlety and secrecy. I just got so frustrated..." 

"Well, nevermind what you should or shouldn't have done," Elrond interrupted, reaching out to put a hand and her shoulder and begin guiding her into the House. "You have done what you have done, and now a word with you is necessary. In here, if you would." Emerald gave him a strange look, then stepped into the room before Elrond and Aragorn, and was not much surprised to see Mithrandir standing at the window, his clear eyes gazing out at the warm branches sketched across his view. 

"Ah, Lady Emerald. I am glad to see Lord Elrond intercepted you before you dove into dinner. There are a few questions we have that you might just have an answer to." The keen, piercing look in his eyes as the skin of his face crinkled into a smile made Emerald somewhat nervous as she took the chair offered her and glanced around anxiously while Aragorn carefully closed the door. 

Her nerves eased somewhat when the three men in the room sat as well, and Emerald felt her heart slow again when the first question Elrond asked was one she had expected, "Lady Emerald, do you know who it is that is meant to go on this journey?" 

"Frodo and Sam are," Emerald nodded. "But they aren't the only ones..." 

"Who else is meant to go with them?" Aragorn pressed when she trailed off, and Emerald was surprised at how casually he accepted the very integral role Mithrandir and Elrond were thrusting her in to. Did he know the role she had played so far? 

Emerald sighed and shook her head, "I don't know. I can't remember the rest of that poem –the one that you say to me in my dream, Lord Elrond. I'm sure it tells. You may know of coming doom but be brave little one. For as sure as flowers bloom, the battle's just begun. A hobbit goes to save the earth..._three more to save their friend!_ That's the next line. Three more to save their friend!" 

The excited smiled melted off her face at the very serious glances that Mithrandir, Elrond, and Aragorn all shared, and Emerald could understand why: the poem stated that, if first assumptions were correct, all four of the sweet, innocent, naive little hobbits were supposed to set out on the possibly fatal mission to save a world they didn't even understand outside of their cozy little homes back in the Shire. "They don't go alone, though," Emerald quickly assured them. "There are more lines, I just can't remember them..." 

She could tell they were frustrated by her inability to recall the information, though they were kind enough not to harp on it, and Mithrandir asked kindly, "And how long do you think it will be before you _do_ remember?" 

"I don't know, but it _will_ be before it's too late. A lot of this stuff that I've seen or heard in my dreams doesn't make any sense until it's _time_, and then suddenly I'll remember a face or a place or a poem that brings it all together." 

"When it's time to know, you'll know what it is we need to know," Aragorn summed up. He was being serious, but what he had said made Emerald smile as she nodded. 

"And what is it that you suggest we do in the meantime, until it is the correct time for you to remember?" Elrond inquired, his eyebrows raised as though to see if her reply was logical, was wise, was appropriate, was in line with what his own wisdom told him to do. 

Emerald paused and thought back on everything she had heard in the Council. She thought about the failed guard of Gollum, about Sauron, about Bilbo and his journey with the Ring, about sweet little Frodo, about Boromir's kingdom of Gondor and whether Aragorn would claim what was rightfully his, about treacherous Saruman... And then suddenly it dawned on her. 

"I need to..." she trailed off before finishing her thought, before admitting to them what it was she had just decided she needed to do. It was just one of those things it was probably better they didn't know. 

"What do you need to do?" Mithrandir encouraged when she failed to continue. She looked up from the floor with surprise, as though she had traveled momentarily into another world apart from the room and forgotten they were there, forgotten they were waiting for an answer from her. 

She shook her head and smiled, "I meant that we just need to kill time but not waste it. Send someone to Mirkwood who has the guts to check out Dol Goldur and see if Gollum is there. Send someone to meet with the Rangers in the wild and someone else to scout around to see if Gollum or, more importantly, any of the Nazgul are to be found. That's really the most pressing issue right now, to know if they're anywhere near here. If we can find them, we can read Sauron, see where he's focused, right? And the more we know, the better decisions we can make." 

Aragorn's usually serious face broke into a smile as he commented, "Spoken like a true captain." 

"Precisely what I had in mind," Lord Elrond agreed with a tender smile, and Emerald felt some of her embarrassment from his earlier indirect scolding fade away. 

"My father always tells me that," she admitted casually. "'The more you know, the better decisions you can make,'" she repeated, doing an alarmingly accurate impression of her father. The men smiled at her and thought her sweet and innocent, and that had been her aim, because she had things to do and she didn't need their suspicions or their well-meaning protective eyes holding her back. 

That was really all they had needed to ask of her, so after only a few more minutes she was allowed leave for dinner. She wasn't very hungry, though, and so took only a few bites with her to the gardens where she spent a great deal of time planning out exactly what it was she needed to do and what she needed to do in order to do so. This, along with joining Tegryn and Hergest for a peaceful afternoon game of Raspens, and then joining Sam, Frodo, Pippin, and Merry out on the veranda for a few songs, took up the rest of her afternoon and evening with ease. 

It was while hurrying across the courtyard at the end of the night, ready to collapse on her bed for a few hours of sleep, that Emerald ran into Arwen. The Lady of Rivendell grabbed Emerald's arms to keep them both from crashing to the floor, then laughed as they straightened up, 

"Well, Princess, and where are you off to in such a rush?" 

"Just to my room." Seeing that this wasn't a very logical explanation as to why she was moving at so quick a pace through the gardens, she added quickly, "And trying to avoid Gildas. He's still pretty mad at me..." 

"About interrupting the Council?" 

Emerald nodded and obeyed when Arwen looped her arm through hers to walk alongside her, nodding as she explained, "Yes, I heard all about that." 

"And? Do you think I was foolish or wise?" Emerald asked, looking up curiously at the older Elf. 

Arwen shook her head shyly and insisted, "Oh, I'm no judge of that. I'm afraid I do not know enough of anything to judge any one else of wisdom or foolishness... though I will say that I would never have had the courage to eavesdrop on so important of a meeting." 

"You were the good child, weren't you?" Emerald teased and laughed when Arwen sighed and nodded. 

"And you, Emerald–" 

"I'm the rotten egg." 

"No," Arwen laughed. "Only... bold. Courageous." 

"I'm rash. I don't know that I'd call it courgage." 

Arwen shook her head and sighed again, arousing suspicions in Emerald that all was not well with the fair maiden, but she didn't press the issue as Arwen admitted, "Whatever you would call it, I'm afraid I'm hopelessly lacking in it." 

"That's not true! Everyone has it in them, just not everyone is willing to act on it." 

"What is _it_?" Arwen pressed, and Emerald smiled that, for the first time, Arwen was truly talking to her like an equal, not just a cute little princess from a neighbor kingdom. 

Just as Emerald was about to open her mouth, their path crossed with that of Aragorn and Legolas of Mirkwood who, deep in conversation, seemed just as surprised at the appearance of the ladies. Heads bowed and knees bent slightly in polite bows and curtsies, then both parties hurried past the other, neither willing so late in the evening on such a night to interrupt their conversations for the company of the other. 

The faint roses in Arwen's cheeks, however, remained for some time after, and for a few minutes Emerald remained silent, trying to discover what precisely was the cause of Arwen's thoughtful, almost brooding mood. Arwen's eyes remained trained firmly on the steps ahead, but Emerald dared a glance over her shoulder as they neared the hallway leading to her room and just barely caught a glimpse of the men's retreating backs before they rounded a corner and vanished from sight. 

With a sudden knowing smile –it was a guess, but Emerald would almost have bet her life on it– she grabbed Arwen's hand and faced her, explaining, "_It_, Lady Arwen, is knowing that it's now or never because tomorrow is a hope, not a promise. _It_ is living like there's no tomorrow, but always hoping there is, no matter how dark and dismal things look." 

Then, not giving Arwen a chance to respond except with a surprised, almost relieved grin, Emerald kissed her on the cheek and had disappeared into her room within a matter of seconds. She liked Arwen an awful lot, and not just because it was nice every now and then not to be the only girl, but because Arwen was just simply a sweet person. 

"If I was a different person, I would want to be Arwen," Emerald nodded with a smile, giddy as the faintest traces of adrenaline began seeping down to her fingers and toes. She squelched the sudden desire to begin a song, though; _secrecy, subtlety_, she repeated silently. Instead, she got down on her knees to peek under the bed where her travel bags had been tucked upon her arrival and, setting them down on the floor on the side of the bed opposite the door (just in case someone should barge rudely in without knocking) began picking through her things for exactly what it was she needed. The journal went in, as did a couple changes of clothes, and a small bundle of food she had managed to lift from the kitchens earlier when no one was watching, and a small dagger Hergest had left in her room. These things packed, she shoved them, her sword, and a cloak back under the bed, then slipped under the covers, still fully clothed. Usually at least one of her brothers checked in on her before they headed off to their rooms, and tonight was no different. 

First Beven stuck his head in and, seeing her awake, came in to sit on the edge of her bed and assure her he was doing everything he could to keep Emerald in Imladris, since Gildas had informed him of their travel plans. When Emerald pointed out that Beven was older than Gildas and should therefor have final say, he laughed and agreed, but pointed out, "But I have no way of making him keep you here anymore than he can make me let you go, so we're just arguing right now. Don't worry, though. I'm a much better arguer than he is." Emerald agreed and whispered 'good-night' back to him as he kissed her on the forehead and rubbed her hair, then saw himself out, softly shutting the door behind himself with a final reassuring smile. He really was a good brother, probably the nicest of King Orwig's children, and Emerald really hoped she wasn't about to get herself killed –she really would like to see him again. 

Emerald recognized Gildas' footsteps at her door before his hand even touched the handle, and she really didn't want to talk with him, so she quickly buried her face in her pillow and pretended to be asleep when he called her name. Perhaps he was coming to apologize... but Emerald didn't care. He would be sorry tomorrow and she hoped he felt horrible for being so bossy. 

She waited until long after Gildas had left her room, though, long after the murmuring of life in the House of Elrond had died down to the soft trickle of the nightlife and the constant humming of the river below. The moon had lost her pale quality and taken on a proud, radiant, startlingly clear light, daring the glittery stars to steal some of her glory against the velvet sky, and the silent trees waved their arms in respect. It was then that Emerald slipped out of bed, pulled her cloak over her copper hair, grasped her sword and bundle against her chest and crept quietly from her room. 

Sneaking out was much easier than she had expected, and she made it through the quiet house without facing another soul, though several corners had to be ducked around as the sleepless Elves wandered around. Once out of the halls, her nerves eased, and she let herself enjoy the soft kisses the cool breeze planted on her cheeks. 

Perhaps she let her guard down a little too much, and perhaps if she had not been staring at the moon, she would have seen the other person sitting in the stables. 'Perhaps's were lost on Emerald, though; all that mattered was what did happen: Emerald jumped nearly out of her skin when a voice asked, 

"My Lady, what are you doing out so late?" 

"Wh- oh, you frightened me!" Emerald sighed, shaking her head to appear casual while really her heart was suddenly beating ten times faster. _Caught again!_

"My apologies," Legolas of Mirkwood offered with a smile, turning away from the horse he had been grooming to face her. It was then that he saw her all decked out for travel and asked with suspicion in his raised eyebrow, "Going somewhere, my lady?" 

"Perhaps..." 

"And where might you be going? Surely your brothers have not lifted your house arrest yet–" 

Emerald took a step forward and begged, "Please don't say anything. I mean, they'll notice I'm missing... but if you don't tell anyone you saw me, no one will be mad at your for letting me go." 

"Who said I was going to let you go?" Emerald's heart stopped at the unreadable expression on his face. Surely he wasn't seriously going to stand in her way! "If I remember correctly," he continued at her horrified expression, "You are under strict orders not to leave the house, and I would be foolish to let you run off into danger, Princess, since I have no doubt that is where you are headed." 

"I am not!" 

"Then where are you going?" 

Emerald shook her head, "I can't tell you. If anyone asked you, you'd tell." 

"I wouldn't dream of it." 

"You couldn't say no to me." 

"Aye," Legolas laughed. "Thank the Valar there's only one of you. Come now, though, tell me where it is you want to go. Perhaps I should even go with you to keep you out of trouble..." 

Emerald smiled and insisted, "That's sweet of you, but I really must go alone." 

"To where?" 

"Nowhere if you keep me much longer! Now please let me go." 

Legolas quickly stepped into her path and insisted, "I cannot let you ride off into danger–" 

"I'm not going to Mordor or anything!" Emerald argued, and instantly he visibly relaxed. He truly thought she was headed there? Well... he hadn't seen much of her except for when she was breaking rules or talking about breaking rules... "If I tell you, will you let me go?" When Legolas nodded, though a little suspiciously, she sighed, "Fine. I'm going to find Radagast. I want to get to him before Saruman does." 

"You're just going to wander around Middle-Earth in these times?" 

"No, I have a feeling he's in visiting Tom Bombadil..." Emerald was almost ashamed at how easily the lies came to her, but Legolas seemed to be buying it so she let them keep spilling forth. 

Legolas shook his head, "It is not safe for you to go riding around Middle-Earth unescorted, Princess." 

"I'll be fine," Emerald insisted. "I promise. I'll stay hidden and go fast –I'll be back before I'm gone." 

"I do not think–" 

"Don't worry," Emerald interrupted, putting a dainty hand reassuringly on his arm. "You have no reason to worry about me. Besides, you told me you'd let me go if I told you where I was going." 

Legolas frowned, "I did say that," and stared down at his arm until she removed her hand and stepped around him into one of the stables. He sighed and watched her back as she shuffled the items in her bag around so it would stay put slung over the horse's back. "You are just going to Tom Bombadil's and back?" 

"Yes." 

"Well that cannot be too unsafe. The hobbits made her from there to here, though a little worse for wear...but I believe you are a great deal more clever than they are." 

"_And_ no one is looking for me. I'm not carrying the ring. I'll be fine," she repeated, then flashed him a grin before jumping up onto the horse and motioning for him to hand her the sword she had left leaning against the wall. 

He did so, commenting, "Have you mastered swordsmanship yet?" 

"Definitely." 

Legolas obviously didn't believe her judging by the way his brow remained furrowed with worry, and he finally looked up at her to insist, "Go right there and back and stay hidden!" 

"I will," Emerald promised, then flashed him one final smile before kicking the horse just hard enough to get it moving from the stables. She didn't bother looking back, determined to get as far away from Imladris as possibly before anyone noticed she had gone, smiling to feel the moon on her cheeks and the wind in her hair. 

Perhaps if she had given just a quick glance over her shoulder once she reached the top of the valley of Imladris, she would have seen the three dark figures coming up after her.


	19. Chapter 19

If the weather were anything to judge by, an omnipotent being or two was unhappy with Emerald's decision to venture out into the wilds of Middle-Earth alone. Dear Occamy, whom had been a faithful travel companion for the young princess for some years, trudged faithfully along through the torrents of rain that plagued their passage for a vast majority of the day. Though everything had been peaceful in and around Imladris, once south of the River Brunen tributary, things had turned sour. 

Emerald was determined, though, and so continued riding at a brisk pace. She even ate her few bites of lembas while riding, assuring Occamy that the quicker they traveled, the sooner they would leave the storm clouds behind. 

Their path was clear, at least, and though a small part of Emerald worried about taking such an obvious route, it was the quickest way. She couldn't imagine what was going to go down at Imladris once everyone realized she was missing, but she was grateful she wouldn't be there to see it. A note was waiting patiently on her beside table for the first person to venture in looking for her, and though she had been about as honest in it as she had been with Legolas in the stables, hopefully it would ease the tensions and anxiety. Or, more importantly, hopefully it would give her the time she needed. As soon as the revelation had hit her that she needed to do this, the thought had also crossed her mind that, were she simply to disappear, Elrond and Mithrandir might very well decided she had abandoned the cause. Then they would of course take it upon themselves to decide who should go on this journey, and that was the _last_ thing Emerald wanted. 

Because, for one reason or another, Emerald was positive the rest of the poem told her who was _supposed_ to go on this trip. Who had in fact decided this and why was beyond Emerald's knowledge, though she had often wondered as of late. Who was given Emerald the dreams? Where did the book come from? Was Váromë behind it all, or was she simply a messenger for someone else? 

Though the terrible weather forced Emerald to spend the hours of travel focusing on their path and maintaining Southward motion, when at last night fell (though it was hard to tell), she dismounted and, tugging Occamy to the base of a few trees that cast less threatening shadows than the other, assured her only companion, "All right, Occamy. We'll rest now." The horse seemed as relieved as his mistress. Since Occamy traveled freely except for the bag slung over his bag, and since Emerald hadn't thought to bring a rope to tie him to the tree with, she sighed, "Well, Occamy, you're just going to have to be good and stay with me all night, all right? I haven't got anything to tie you up with..." 

It wasn't the first time Occamy had been trusted to stay put without a hitch, but it was the first night Emerald had ever spent by herself in her entire life. Even when traveling with her family, there had not only been her brothers and parents keeping her safe, but also at least a few guards ready to lay their lives down for the royal family's protection. 

But now? Emerald let out a deep breath and looked nervously about her. She had perhaps waited a little too long to stop, but if there were any moon at all, she remained hidden behind the dark clouds that had blocked the sun out during the day. The storm had let up a little, but deep rumblings still chased daggers of lightening through the air, and a gentle, steady sprinkling of cold raindrops managed to weave their way through the trees. It was too wet to even think about lighting a fire, and so Emerald was just going to have to deal with the dark. And the cold. And the wet. And the fact that she was all alone out here in the wild. 

With a gentle pat, she apologized, "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to sleep down here with you." Occamy didn't seem too bothered and just buckled his legs to curl up on the ground against the rough bark of the tree. Emerald managed to pull her bag up before he went down and, though it was a little heavier than she probably should have packed, still managed to sling it over her shoulder and clamber up the first few branches of the tree until finding a decent resting spot cradled between a few branches. 

Though she had wanted to do some reading and writing before rest -just jot down a few thoughts and worries about this solo trip- it was simply too dark, and she was simply too tired after a full day of riding. 

With an extra dose of self-pity, she sighed, "I hope the book writes something in itself such as, 'Emerald is miserable.'" She thought back on Legolas' offer to accompany her and wondered if it might not have been a good idea. She could have convinced him not to question her about where they were going and why, and at least then she would have had someone to complain to about this terrible weather. And how cold she was. And how wet she was. And how she really just wanted to curl up on her nice warm bed back in Imladris, or maybe even at home, because she had only slept in trees a few times in her life, and always before with her father or a brother near at hand to keep her safe. 

Rest wasn't coming easy with the knowledge that nothing stood between her and the things that live in the night, and so Emerald squeezed her eyes tightly shut, cursing her parents for having instilled the human method of sleep in her and her brothers. By nature, she had learned from Arwen, Elves didn't even need to lie in bed to sleep; they could simply drift off while walking about to rest their minds, and therefor could stretch their bodies to longer endurance. However, since Emerald's home was a kingdom of both men and Elves, the Elves had taken to sleeping as the men did long, long before she was even a thought in her mother's mind. 

To try and bore herself into sleep, Emerald began reciting the short note she had left in Imladris over and over to herself: 

_Dear everyone, Please do not worry about me. I have not run away for good, nor have I abandoned Imladris. There is an errand I must run, and though it is not dangerous in the least and no one should lose a single breath worrying about me, I will be gone for some time. Look for my return in a month, and please wait for my return to do anything. I apologize for leaving now, on the brink of so many things, but I will be back, and I promise to stay safe. My love for everyone..._

It didn't work very well, and though the letter and the poems were repeated several hundred times, Emerald found she could only drift off for a few minutes at a time. 

"On the positive side, at least I didn't have to worry about falling out of the tree," she mused to herself when, the next morning, a faint warmth of sunlight managed to break through the clouds. She remained perched in her cradle of branches for a while still, though, congratulating herself. She had done it. She had now spent one night alone in the wild. Sure, she had perhaps slept only an hour collectively, nor had she gotten any good thinking done. But she had survived it and, glancing down, she saw with relief that Occamy was patiently chewing on the tufts of grass that poked through the thick carpet of dead leaves. 

Emerald took her time eating, then slung the bag over Occamy again, and was about to mount when she heard something. It was faint, and so must be far away, but Emerald still froze to listen. A twig snapped. Someone or something else was out here with her, but the chances of it being anyone or anything in connection with her were slim to none. It was probably either a wild animal or else another traveler. 

Either way, Emerald didn't want to be bothered. It was just safer for everyone if she remained unnoticed, so she promised herself to work harder at not being traceable. Which meant no more talking non-stop to Occamy, and that was going to be difficult. Emerald wasn't used to being alone, and as a natural chatterbox, Occamy had at least provided a smidge of relief for her need to speak. 

"No more of that now, though," Emerald sighed, then clamped her mouth shut. Caution was a lot more difficult to exercise than she had thought. 

Fortunately, the day came and went without any difficulties except for the frequent rain storms. At least now there were small breaks between that lasted just long enough for Emerald's clothing to _think_ about drying out before she was once again bombarded with cold rain from above. 

When Emerald stopped for the night, she came to the firm conclusion that traveling solo was no fun at all. Since a little girl, she had harbored the idea that venturing out on her own would be the greatest thing that ever happened to her. She could go wherever she wanted, do whatever she wanted, explore every tiny nook and cranny that caught her interest, all without a pesky older brother or obnoxious guard standing watch. 

However, the reality was quite different, as she was discovering now. Especially knowing as much as she did about the evils running rampant in Arda, Emerald found that without anyone else around to worry about her, she was left to worry about herself. Every tiny sound around her -that managed to penetrate through the hum of the rain, that is- had her glancing around suspiciously. Even when there were no sounds at all, Emerald worried that something would catch her off guard. She rode with her sword balanced in her lap and her ears alert for any signs that she was being followed. 

By day three, after yet another night of only a few minutes of stolen sleep here and there while perched in a tree through the rain, Emerald decided that though her paranoia might be unwarranted, it was better to be safe than sorry. So she glanced over her map a bit, thought for a while on distance versus ease, and then decided it was time she and Occamy depart from the marked path. The distance would be shorter now, but instead of trotting along a cleared trail, they would now be picking their way through deeper forest and along the foot of the Misty Mountains, which would add time. The more difficult road worried her a little, but as long as she stuck to the mountains, she wouldn't get lost, and if being off the path meant the occasional low voices or footprints she heard would be left behind, it was worth it. For her nerves, if for nothing else. 

By the end of day four, the first evening where there remained enough light for her to read for a bit by, Emerald quickly thumbed through the pages of the book to see if anything had changed. It had indeed, but nothing too drastically. Pages dedicated to the members of the council showed their whereabouts: the Hobbits were still all contentedly in Imladris, as were Elrond and his counselors. Gloin and his son, Boromir, Aragorn, Legolas, Glorfindel, and many others had set out on scouting missions, scattered to the winds in all directions with the help of the Rangers. Even Emerald's own brothers seemed to making use of themselves, since Gildas, Beven, Hergest, and Tegryn -even Alagedh- had left Imladris. There was even a note of comfort for Emerald slipped in beneath Mithrandir's section, reading: Mithrandir tells Hobbits, "No actions will be taken in any direction until _all_ our scouts have returned." Though she couldn't know for sure whether Mithrandir was thinking of her, she couldn't help but see his knowing smile when he informed the Hobbits of this, secretly thinking to himself. "This will help us bide our time until Emerald returns." At least that's what she hopped the snippet meant. 

The fourth night and fifth day both passed in exactly the same fashion Emerald was growing accustomed to. But that didn't mean she was enjoying herself. Actually, as the days wore on, she grew more and more miserable, and doubted herself more by the minute. This was crazy. She should never have ventured off on this errand, especially not on her own. It wasn't really that important, and definitely not worth risking her life over. Besides, she was tired after having not really slept since she left Imladris; she hadn't been dry or clean in just as long; she was in the mood for something a little more appetizing than Lembas, for while they filled her up, they didn't appease her taste buds' acclimation to spoiling. 

"Maybe I should just go home," she sighed to herself. The realization that she would soon be closer to home than to Imladris had begun to tempt her during the day. "I should just forget everything and go home to Papa and Mother." The thought brought tears to her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, Emerald began to cry. Not hard, body-wracking heaves by any means, but just enough small, pitiful tears that, when she realized the fresh water on her face was actually from her eyes, bigger, rounder tears chased after them. She curled up tighter and pushed her saturated hair out of her face, but the rain kept pouring, the thunder kept rattling the branches of the tree she was perched in, and the lightening stretched the dagger-like branches to nightmarish proportions. 

Emerald was just about to talk herself into hopping back onto Occamy and riding through the night to reach home more quickly when the definite sound of several twigs snapping made her sit suddenly up. As if the snapping twigs in the dark weren't bad enough, someone hissed in reaction to the sound. That meant it was definitely a person out there, and the fact that Emerald had been off of the marked path for a day now made her heart suddenly leap into her throat. That meant the only plausible explanation was that the stranger in the dark was following her! Why else would they still be on her trail? 

Well, there was only one way to know for sure. It had been five days now, and the faint sounds had been audible to Emerald for four of those. If this stranger had been following her for that long, they had a reason, and they were unlikely to abandon that reason anytime soon. As much as Emerald would have liked to jump on Occamy's back and just keep riding until they were gone, who's to say that would stop the pursuer? If anything, it might make them attack for fear of losing her. 

Emerald crouched in the tree and made a rash decision –she was famous for those, after all. There was only one thing to do. She needed to draw the pursuer into a trap she had set, therefor giving her the upper hand. And she needed to do it now, while she was still in control of the situation. 

She didn't exactly have the supplies to get creative with her trap, so it would need to be something simple. However, Occamy didn't need to be caught up in it all, nor did her things. Emerald leapt down form the tree and, ignoring Occamy's obvious confusion at this sudden change in routine, draped the bag over Occamy's back and led the horse carefully between the thick trees a short distance away. 

"All right, Occamy, you need to stay here. Do you understand? Stay right here until I get back," Emerald instructed. She couldn't quite tell if Occamy understood, though, and so pulled some bread out of her bag and sprinkled it on the ground. Hopefully that would keep Occamy entertained long enough for her to do... whatever it was she needed to do. She pulled the dagger and sword out of the bundle and picked her way back to her original camp site. 

Now how to lure the pursuer over. If they had been following her for four or five days now without attacking, she doubted they would randomly attack now, so she needed a way to draw them over. 

What better way than to let her guard down? What pursuer wouldn't attack if the prey they sought was suddenly handicapped? Emerald quickly shot up into the trees and crawled around until she was situated directly over the small clearing. 

Then, taking a deep breath and positioning her sword in one hand and dagger in the other, she let out a blood-curdling scream. 

The silence of the forest was shattered. A small cluster of birds that had rooted themselves in a nearby tree suddenly took flight, about giving Emerald a heart attack as they darted past her to dot the sky. She held her breath and listened for any movement. The fact that she had heard the pursuer earlier only meant they within a few mile radius. With the rain interfering, Emerald guessed within a mile, but it remained to be seen how long until the pursuer would reach her, if they even came. Emerald waited, let out another shrill scream, then waited some more. 

And there it was. Faint at first but gradually louder, she heard the beating of horse hooves –but there was definitely more than one horse. Emerald frowned. Suddenly this was sounding like a very bad idea. She wasn't even so sure she could take on one opponent, much less the three or four that were apparently coming after her. 

Perhaps she should just stay hidden and see who was following. Yes, that sounded like a _much_ better idea. Emerald kept her sword and dagger at the ready, but changed her plan from attack to observe. 

Closer...closer... she listened and waited. When they were within sight, though dim through the thick trees and dull light, Emerald prepared to run if need be. 

And then she heard it. 

"Emerald! Emmy, are you out there?" 

"Emerald!" 

"Princess, are you all right?" 

Emerald felt the breath whoosh from her chest in one giant lump, and her eyes closed as her heart took a dive back into her chest where it belonged. There they were in the clearing and she suddenly had hardly the strength to call out to them. She did, however, manage to get her muscles to perform one final task. With a natural grace that rarely showed in the impish girl, Emerald dropped out of the tree and held her arms out. 

"Hergest! Alagedh! Tegryn! I have never been so glad to see you in my life!"


	20. Chapter 20

Emerald finally got her night of sleep, curled up in Hergest's side with the knowledge that Tegryn, Hergest, and Alagedh were all there to keep her safe. She learned with green-eyed envy that they had each gotten a restful night of sleep after each day of following her, and it wasn't much consolation when they moaned and groaned about how difficult it had been to follow her once she left the path. 

"Why didn't you just catch up to me?" Emerald asked the next morning, watching as the sun mounted a clear sky and Alagedh skinned a small wood rodent he had caught. 

Tegryn looked between the other two before explaining, "Well, you seemed so determined to do this on your own–" 

"As determined as you three apparently were not to let me." 

Alagedh sighed, "Princess, you don't understand how dangerous it is to be–" 

"I understand it more than the three of you do," she retorted crossly. He had begun to talk down to her and that was one thing she simply couldn't stand for. 

"You don't or you wouldn't have gone off on your own–" 

Emerald stood up and yelled, "I'm not a child anymore!" The three men fell silent. Emerald sighed, "Look, I appreciate your concern, but I'm not a child anymore. There are some things I have to do that you can't–" 

"That we can't what?" Tegryn interrupted, standing up to face her. He suddenly looked an awful lot like Gildas in his glare. 

Emerald waved her hands in the air for a moment, struggling to find the right words, then insisted, "That you can't help me with." 

"What can't we help you with?" Tegryn pressed. 

"Nothing– I can't tell you. It's..." 

Tegryn stepped closer and put his hands on Emerald's shoulders, "Look, Emmy, you've never kept secrets from us before. We've always been your right-hand men, and then suddenly you're acting all secretive? We dealt with it at home and in Imladris, but now when you going out into real danger?" He shook his head and Emerald bit her lip at how... well, _grown up_ he was suddenly acting. "I'll let you keep your secrets, but not when they're putting you into danger. Now where are we going?" 

"I can't..." 

Hergest stepped closer behind Emerald and pointed out, "What are you so afraid of? That we're going to tell someone? _You're_ the one we tell everything to." 

He had a point. Emerald looked to Alagedh, yet even he had always been a brother to her. He had worked for her father longer than she had been alive. How many times had he taken the blame for her own recklessness? How many times had Hergest and Tegryn done likewise, or followed her blindly into what they knew would be catastrophic when their father found out? 

'Know your people.' That's what Váromë has told Emerald. And looking at the three men standing around her, frowning with concern over her well-being, Emerald couldn't think of any clearer definition of her people. 

"All right," she sighed, her shoulders sagging. "You three can come and make sure I stay safe. But I'm only going to answer questions on a need-to-know basis." 

The three were obviously every bit as relieved as she, and while Hergest crushed her in a tight hug and Alagedh beamed with satisfaction, Tegryn asked, "Well, then where are we going? That's something we need to know." 

"To visit someone." 

"Who?" 

"You're just going to have to trust me," Emerald insisted, shaking her head. "You'll see when we get there. I know what I'm doing." 

"Gee, 'you'll just have to trust me.' 'I know what I'm doing.' Last time I heard those words, the three of us ended up in a pile of bull-nettle," Hergest muttered. Emerald and Tegryn laughed, and though none of the men were happy with Emerald's secrets, they would respect her wishes... at least for the moment. 

Traveling with three companions was so much more fun than traveling alone. That's right, fun. Suddenly, Emerald could once again rely on Alagedh to pay attention to all the possibly alarming sounds. Hergest could be the worry wart. Tegryn could keep his sword at the ready, bragging that nothing would make it within three feet of them. This meant all Emerald had to concern herself with was keeping their path, and that was so much easier now that the storms had let up and sun finally blazed through the tree branches overhead. 

In fact, the next nine days of travel seemed to take only half the time that the first five had taken. The four travel companions slipped into a routine that suited all four just fine. Their travel, which lasted from just after dawn until dusk, was broken only when absolutely necessary. Lunch was eaten on the move, but when night fell, and in the morning before setting out, Alagedh taught Emerald, Tegryn, and Hergest how to be a hunter-gatherer. Though Emerald couldn't find it in her heart to catch a rabbit or squirrel on her own, and Hergest, too, was hard-pressed, she could at least appreciate it when Tegryn caught his first. She could at least clean the catch, too, and put what Falnor had taught her in the kitchens of Arathilien to use. During the night, watches were taken, and Emerald even convinced the men to let her have one. A small fire was even chanced for cooking. Emerald couldn't remember when she had felt so spoiled. 

And, true to their instruction, the three men didn't pester Emerald too much about their destination. Obviously it bothered them immensely not knowing, and every so often one would sneak a question into their conversation, but Emerald was too clever for such simple tricks. 

Finally, Hergest asked a question that Emerald decided to answer, if only to throw a bone to the dogs. When, a few nights later, she settled down against a sharp, quite uncomfortable patch of rocks to take a peek in her book, Hergest planted himself innocently beside her. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Reading my book," she answered vaguely. 

"What book?" 

"One Mother gave me." 

"What's it about?" 

Emerald gave Hergest a long hard look, but there was nothing behind his question. He was simply making conversation. Further around the camp site, Alagedh and Tegryn were paying no attention to them. 

"It's just my journal," Emerald offered after a moment. "I write down things I see and hear and think in it. And my dreams -I write my dreams down in it." 

"Can I see?" 

Emerald hesitated, then handed the book to him and watched as he flipped through. 

After a few minutes, Hergest asked, "You wrote all of this in here?" 

"Well... no, not all of it. Sometimes things just sort of... _appear_ in the book." 

Hergest gave her a wide-eyed look and demanded, "What do you mean, appear?" 

"Well... like this. 'Scouts find Radagast is not at his home.' That wasn't there yesterday, and I sure didn't write it. Things just appear." 

"What sorts of things?" 

Emerald shrugged, "Lately just where the people we met in Imladris are and what they're doing. Sometimes when I meet someone new, things about them will appear. Like see this page on Frodo? It mentions that his parents drowned in a boating accent when he was a child." 

"And you said Mother gave this to you?" Emerald nodded. "Where did _she_ get it?" 

"She said I wandered off one time when I was little, and when she found me, I was sitting in a boat with this book and a sword –oh, I had forgotten about the sword!" Emerald gasped. She tapped her chin, "I wonder if Beven has figured out which sword I had, and if it's still in Imladris..." 

"Beven knows about this?" 

Emerald nodded, "Yes, Beven knows about the book and my ring and..." 

"And what?" 

"Well he doesn't know where we're going, though. I wonder where he's gone to; he's not in Imladris anymore." 

"So says the book?" Emerald nodded. Hergest looked back at the book, at the list of the council members and where each had ventured off to. He pointed at Legolas' entry and informed Emerald, "He's the one who tipped us off that you were fleeing." 

"What?! He didn't!" Emerald gasped, but laughed now that the past few days had given her time to get over any frustration. "He told me he wouldn't tell anyone he saw me." 

Alagedh, who had payed attention to the last bit, gasped in mock-horror, "No! Someone who actually cares about your well being more than keeping a stupid promise you no doubt conned him into making! Valar save us all!" 

Emerald laughed and swung a playful fist at Alagedh's shoulder, "Bug off." 

Alagedh threw himself down on the other side of Tegryn so that he could see the book as well and asked, "Does it have anything about me in there?" 

"Yes, here," Hergest answered, turning back a few pages. There wasn't much interesting about Alagedh -Emerald had read it all before. However, when he scanned over the book, he suddenly looked surprised, then embarrassed. 

"Not everything in there is true," he muttered, standing up and strutting to the far side of camp. 

Emerald leaned over Hergest to see what could possibly have upset Alagedh, but the only thing Hergest could think to point out was where it read, "Would die for Emerald." 

"Well I sure hope you'd be willing to die for me," Emerald laughed. 

Tegryn laughed, "Yeah, fat lot of good a guard would do someone if they aren't willing to lay their life on the line to protect whoever they're guarding." 

Alagedh glanced at Emerald and, either seeing that she was amused or else that she hadn't taken note of something else that might be upsetting him, laughed, "Yes, I would definitely be failing in my job." 

Emerald pushed herself up from beside Hergest and danced across camp to loop her arm through Alagedh's as she teased, "Well would you, then? Would you be willing to die for me?" 

Alagedh gave her an almost regretful look, then smiled and nodded, 'Of course I would." 

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, but don't plan on it. I'd rather not have your death on my head if it's all the same to you," she insisted, flitting back to sit beside Hergest. He had continued perusing the book but, finding nothing else of much interest, handed it back. Everything about the Ring and the Council and the dreams had apparently slipped by him –but who was to say that wasn't the book's planning? When Emerald quickly glanced at it to see what, if anything, he had read, she noticed with surprise that anything that would possibly have concerned her had disappeared. Another score for the mystery book! 

Tegryn came over to give the book a look-over, and Emerald felt no hesitation at all in handing it over to him. He too, though, after a few minutes grew bored and handed it back. 

"Is this one of your big secrets?" he asked with a brotherly roll of his eyes. 

Emerald smiled sweetly, "Yes." 

"Another one of your signs, huh?" 

"You never did take me seriously," she insisted, but her playful grin showed she didn't really care. At least not at the moment. "But so you three don't find this book a bit... strange?" 

"Of course it's strange," Hergest shrugged. "But you made friends with oliphaunts–" 

"–Were stalked by a werewolf–" 

"–Survived a warg attack–" 

"–And did it all with a _smile_ on your face," Alagedh finished with a laugh. "And that was just on the trip to Imladris." 

Tegryn nodded and, putting his hand on Emerald's shoulder, explained, "I've known you a long time. Ever since Mother called us into the room and put this screaming little lump of trouble in front of me. And since that time, if there's one thing I've learned about you, it's never to be surprised, because something always happens with you to top it." 

Alagedh agreed, "I think our shock senses have numbed thanks to you, Princess." 

Emerald leaned back against the tree, clutching the book to her chest, and laughed softly, "I do what I can..." 

Their travels continued, their routine continued, and soon the men were growing more than a little anxious about their destination. Though Emerald remained the navigator and refused to let her companions offer their advice, Alagedh had traveled enough to whisper to Tegryn and Hergest they were headed South. There were only a few things South that they could be heading for: home, Rohan, Gondor, and Mordor. The three debated but there was no way of knowing what insane thoughts flitted through the head of their dear princess. 

So they dumbly followed Emerald, keeping their complaints and questions to a minimum. Emerald appreciated this and tried not to consider the fact that her one attempt to venture out and do something on her own had failed miserably. Not only had three people managed to stalk her for five days, she had been absolutely miserable on her own, and now welcomed their company despite the dangers it might pose to her purpose. How was she supposed to be mature and responsible and take control of the role she had been thrust into if she couldn't even make a simple visit without her brothers and Alagedh stepping in and taking care of her? 

It still gave her some satisfaction, though, when they shifted uncomfortably at the travels through the Fanghorn Forest. Tegryn had visited once and vowed never to go back in, and Alagedh had been several times and admitted it made him anxious. Emerald managed to trick them at first by not pointing out the forest had changed until Alagedh felt the difference. By that point, though, they were deep enough into the woods that there was no point in turning back, Emerald explained. Besides, by continuing to skirt the base of the mountain, they kept in the thinner parts, and thus avoided the oldest parts, the more sorrowful, haunted parts, and the Ents that Hergest had an unexplainable fear of. Emerald almost allowed herself to steer them deeper merely to see how Hergest would react if ever faced with a real Ent, but doing so would take them at least a day off course, and she couldn't rationalize that simply because she wanted to scare her brother. 

And then finally, in the early afternoon of the fifteenth day, Emerald suddenly let out an excited squeal, "We're almost there!" 

"What? But we're still in the Fangorn. Where could we possibly be–" Hergest began, but Tegryn cut him off with a wave of his hand. 

Stepping around Alagedh to walk his horse beside Emerald, Tegryn demanded, "Where have you brought us, Emmy?" 

"I told you nowhere dangerous," she reminded, giving him a look as though he were crazy for doubting her. She turned her back on them and hurried ahead, leaving them to tug on their horses' leads and pick their way quickly after her. 

It wasn't that Emerald was so much looking forward to her destination, but simply that she looked forward to the end of the first leg of these travels. It had been a hard trip -much harder than from home to Imladris, and about a thousand times harder than the trip she had taken with her father so long ago. 

They reached the top of the hill they had slowly been climbing and there reached a slightly thinner area of the trees through which they could see for some distance. And there, stabbing sharply up into the sky, stood the cruel grey stone walls of Orthanc. 

With a satisfied smile, Emerald turned to her three companions and announced cheerfully, "Here we are!" 


	21. Chapter 21

"Emerald, you can't just walk up to the doors of Orthanc." 

Emerald put her hands defiantly on her hips to demand, "And why not?" 

"Well . . . because . . . " 

"Because you just _can't_," Alagedh answered for Tegryn. "Especially not now, knowing what we do about Saruman's loyalties–" 

"Or lack thereof," Tegryn added. 

Emerald shook her head and sat down at the base of a tree. There was no way of making them understand. She knew Saruman had betrayed Middle Earth. That was the whole reason she had gone on this God-awful journey to visit him. But explaining her reasons and purpose would be pointless for her three companions who didn't know enough for it to make sense at all. 

So with a sigh, she reminded, "You three promised to trust me." 

"Yes, but trust you to do what?" Hergest asked, sitting down beside her. "You haven't told us why we're here or what you're planning on doing." 

"That's because you three don't need to know, and if I tell you, it'll just make everything more dangerous. You aren't going with me. I won't be long. Stay hidden here in the forest and wait for me. I'll be gone . . . a day at the most. I shouldn't think it would take longer than until tomorrow . . . Yes, well, and if it looks like I'm going to be longer than I'll come back and tell you so you won't worry." 

"And what, you're plan is just to march in there and have a nice little chat with an evil wizard?" 

Emerald opened her mouth to argue, then nodded and shrugged, "Basically." 

"You really think you can convince him to rejoin us–" 

"Not at all," Emerald interrupted, looking at Alagedh as though he were crazy for suggesting it. "I just want to talk to him. I'll be fine. You three wait here and I'll go–" 

"Emerald." 

She sighed and looked hard at Tegryn, "I'll be fine. Saruman has no reason to hurt me. I'm no threat to him. Now promise me you three will be in this _exact_ spot when I return. I'll be here by nightfall tomorrow at the latest. Promise me!" 

The three men were hard-pressed to agree, but they finally did, unable to convince Emerald to change her plans. And she did have a point that Saruman had no reason to harm her. So Emerald promised again and again to be careful, bid them good day, and with Occamy for company, marched down from the Fangorn and into the clearing surrounding the imposing Tower of Orthanc. 

Emerald had expected it to have shrunk since seeing it as a little girl. After all, most things worked that way. As a child, everything was huge and intimidating, but when you grew up, you realized nothing was really as big as it seemed. Not so with Orthanc. She felt her breath catch in her throat at the starkness and sheer enormity of it all as she approached the front gates that always before had stood open. 

This time, a guard perched atop them, his face and most of his body hidden behind dark armor. From her spot on the ground, Emerald couldn't see him at all, even as she squinted up at him against the sunlight. She paused, unsure what to say or do to get him to open the gate. 

Nothing on him moved, but she heard his voice clearly as he asked, "What business have you here?" 

"I... Well I would like to see Lord Saruman, if that's not too much trouble," she replied sweetly. She wasn't sure whether sugar would work on this mysterious guard, but it was worth a shot. 

"Lord Saruman is very busy and has no time to see–" 

"Well tell him Princess Emerald of Arathilien has come. He'll make time for me. I'm sure of it," she insisted. 

"Lord Saru–" 

"Open the gate," another voice demanded, this time from the other side. Emerald couldn't see the speaker, but the voice was faintly familiar. The gate lumbered open and there he stood, the aged and sharply angled Lord Saruman, his white robes sparkling in the harsh sunlight. 

"Lady Emerald," he greeted, his face contorting into an unpleasant grin. "What brings you here at this hour? And unaccompanied?" 

Emerald glanced over at her shoulder as though surprised to see no one behind her. She hadn't thought about how odd it would look for her, spoiled as she was, to arrive unaccompanied. Particularly traveling all the way from Imladris, since she knew Lord Saruman no doubt knew exactly where she had been before this. 

Instead of explaining herself, Emerald answered simply, "Might we speak privately?" 

"Of course, Princess. Come with me," he nodded after a moment's hesitation, watching her closely. He turned and Emerald stepped through to follow, Occamy trudging faithfully along. She cast another glance up at the guard, but the sun's glare kept him hidden. 

When they had almost reached the entrance into the Tower, Saruman called to his right, "You! Come stable this horse." At Emerald's concern, he added, "Make sure that it is well cared for." 

"Yes, my lord," the creature growled, and it was then that Emerald got a good look at the creature. His leathery, grooved skin was pulled tight in spots and hung loose in others. Beady, bright yellow eyes seemed to roll around in sockets too small, but the eyes weren't half as disturbing as the gnarled black lips and protruding dagger-like teeth. Several gold rings had been pierced through the wrinkled, pointed ears that looked like an Elven ear held to the fire until it was charred and melted. The creature stood several inches shorter than Emerald, but hunched over as though its back had been warped and its shoulders bent under some great weight. The fingers were twisted, the nails long and sharp and of a color to match the rusted black armor that clothed the creature. A few scraggly locks of hair hung from the taut scalp, dangling down the creature's back. 

As the creature turned to go, a new rope looped loosely around Occamy's neck, Saruman noticed her stare and questioned, "Have you not seen an orc before?" Before Emerald could answer, though, he shook his head, "Of course not. A princess like you has no business sharing company with such creatures." He led the way up the stairs, continuing, "Vile creatures, and none too smart, but capable of carrying out orders. Ambitious and loyal if you twist them right." 

"Where did they come from?" Emerald breathed once they had stepped through the doors and the foul creature had disappeared from her sight. She thought of the terrible face she had seen in the pool so many years ago and of the creatures she had glimpsed in her ring. They had definitely been orcs, though the actual appearance was so much worse than any horror stories of them she had heard. "I thought they couldn't stand daylight?" 

Saruman gave her another grin, "Yes, well, we must all adapt, mustn't we?" The door closed and Emerald squinted until her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the interior of the Tower of Orthanc. It was a dismal place, to be sure. 

She followed him up the stairs to the very room that so many years ago had first caught her attention with its dusty windows and overloaded desk. Nothing had changed. Maps and stacks of papers and several old frayed volumes still weighed down the desk, and the sun streaming through the dirty windows gave the room an unearthly glow. 

"That's why you were looking at the maps of Mordor . . . " she murmured. 

Saruman heard her and pressed, "What was that, Princess?" 

Emerald had spent over two weeks now running through in her head exactly what to say and do with Saruman, but suddenly all her planning fled. She couldn't remember a single thing. So she decided to trust her instinct and just say what came to mind. 

"The maps of Mordor. That's why you were looking at them when I visited as a little girl. No one knew it except you." 

Saruman was watching her closely with a suspicious eye, as though he could see straight through her skin as he inquired, "What was it that I knew?" 

"That Sauron was coming back." 

"My, my, you are an observant little thing," he commented after a moment's hesitation. His surprise was obvious, yet he remained casual. "Now what it is that you wish to speak with me about?" 

And just like that, Emerald felt herself slip into her groove. It was like someone suddenly took control of her body and she herself had stepped into a far corner of the room to watch the performance with amazement. Her mouth and hands and feet seemed to move of their own accord. 

With a cold smile Emerald hadn't known herself capable of, she began looking over the contents of the table as she mused, "I have heard many rumors about you, Lord Saruman." 

"Oh? Such as?" 

"I am told you wish to use the ring of Sauron for your own purposes. I am told you are raising an army of your own to combat the forces of Sauron and rule Middle-Earth." 

Saruman coughed low in his throat, and though Emerald's back was to him, she could feel his eyes boring deep into her back. Her confidence was making him uncomfortable, she knew. This was not the chirping, twittering, stupid princess that had visited him as an Elfling. Well, it actually was, but she was doing a marvelous job of hiding that from him. 

"Is that what they are saying?" he returned vaguely, fighting to remain casual. "And what do you say?" 

Emerald turned to face him and, crossing her arms over her chest, replied, "I think they are fools if they think that Sauron can be defeated without using the ring against him." 

Saruman's eyebrow raised and he gave her a wicked grin, "Is that so?" 

"I do not wish to die, Lord Saruman," she continued. She looked up at him with her big eyes, hoping to gain back some of the innocence and stupidity. She needed him to still think he was in control. "I do not wish to watch my kingdom die. But everyone will die if Sauron is not defeated. Middle Earth is too divided to pose any serious opposition. We need a new order–" 

"The order of Saruman of Many Colors," Saruman suddenly smiled wider than Emerald had ever seen him. His wrinkled cheeks balled up in his grin, his dark eyebrows quivering with excitement. "And you . . . you wish to . . . " He stared hard at her, then shook his head and almost laughed, "But remember, Princess, you are not power hungry. You said so yourself so long ago." 

Emerald bit her lip and smiled, throwing back his words from earlier, "We must all adapt, my lord. I was a foolish little girl. I have grown now. I know the world now." 

"Indeed you have," he mused, once again staring her in the face. Inside Emerald was terrified. At any moment he was going to see clear through her and kill her on the spot. But for his hard look, he smiled and nodded. 

"So you have come to join me, then?" he asked. 

Emerald inquired, "If I do?" 

"If you do," he answered, stepping closer. "If you join me, my child and my queen, you will never be told 'no' again." 

Emerald looked closely at him, weighing her words carefully. My child and my queen, he had said. This was a deep plunge. This was thin ice. This was every danger she had ever been warned about and more. This was playing with fire in a way that one false step would lead to her total envelopment in flame. 

"Show me our armies," she answered after a moment, smiling with all the confidence she lacked. 

Of course Saruman couldn't say no. With a deep nod of his head, he motioned for her to follow him into the depths of Orthanc and then some. Beneath the Tower, stretching for further than Emerald could see from the ledge on which they stood were the caverns, the pits. It would be impossible for her to describe them to anyone, she knew. She gasped. 

Hearing this, Saruman grinned, "They are greater than anything you have seen." 

"What are they?" she asked. 

"A new soldier. A better soldier. We must all adapt," he grinned, again motioning for her to follow. She stared wide-eyed around the monstrous cavern and tried not to cringe as more of the orc creatures skittered here and there around them as they walked down one of the many staircases zigzagging along the steep walls. When they reached the bottom, one of the shriveled orcs approached Saruman to ask something, and the fearsome wizard answered with a muttered word and a wave of his hand. Emerald paid no attention, too horrified and enraptured by the scene taking place around her. 

Horrible growls and roars reverberated around the cavern, making Emerald's ears ache with the noise. Her heart beat irregularly simply from the fear that such noises instilled in her, and her face hurt from the sheer heat of the great pits full of a red oozing lava-substance on either side of the platform they stood on. 

"Do not be afraid," Saruman ordered after the orc had disappeared. "Simple experimentation." 

"With what?" 

"The creation of this new orc," he grinned. "Stronger. Smarter. Faster. Able to withstand more and do more than these sniveling creatures. Soon they will be ready and then you shall see what an army we have. More than orcs and werewolves." 

Saruman preferred not to give her any more of a tour than necessary, and that was fine with Emerald. She admitted when he asked that the entire business disgusted her, and he assured her this was understandable. Such gruesome sights were not for a lady's eyes. So after only a short time spent in the monstrous caverns, they returned upstairs into the now appealing interior of the Tower. 

"Are you planning an attack on Mordor?" Emerald asked once the cool air had stolen the redness from her cheeks. 

"That is what I was working on when you arrived," Saruman nodded. 

She offered, "Well, don't let me interrupt you anymore than I have." 

"You would leave so soon?" he asked suspiciously, and Emerald knew that _would_ look strange. 

"No. But I can amuse myself exploring the tower, by your leave, and allow you to work." 

"Ah, as curious as ever. Very well. Wander where you will, then. You have my full permission. We will dine together in a few hours." Emerald nodded and watched him go, then smiled to herself. So far her plan was working alarmingly easy. It worried her slightly that Saruman had so willingly and quickly trusted her motives entirely. Had she been in his position, she would have been much more suspicious of the little princess suddenly showing up and basically pledging her life to him to join him on the dark side. But as long as it was working to her advantage, she had nothing to complain about. 


	22. Chapter 22

The afternoon passed painfully slow, and the longer Emerald was left to herself, the more she felt like a prisoner. Orthanc returned little to amuse her with, each room offering only more long shadows and plain dark walls. She couldn't see why anyone would ever have built such a dreary place. No wonder Saruman had turned evil. It was probably from being cooped up in this terrible place for so long. 

Emerald was staring out one of the few windows, her eyes trailing the sun as it disappeared behind the looming trees of the Fangorn Forest when Saruman was suddenly behind her, offering, "Would you care to join me for supper, my child?" 

"Oh! You startled me. Yes, I suppose I am quite hungry," she admitted and followed him obediently to the dining hall, a small room taller than it was deep with a simple long table. It had been set and decorated, probably by more of the orc servants that seemed to lurk around every corner in the Tower. Emerald took her seat across the table from Saruman and, at his offer, helped herself to the meager and yet strangely lavish food. She wasn't sure where it had come from, since she couldn't picture an orc going out to hunt a duck for their supper. As she started eating, though, she realized just how hungry she actually was and didn't ask questions. 

The meal was oddly quiet for the most part. Emerald ate enough for both herself and Saruman, who often fell still simply to watch her eat. It made her uncomfortable, but when she would look up at him questioningly, he would only grin and return to his food. She was grateful when the meal ended and she was asked to follow him back to the office with its dusty windows now dark for the night outside. 

"Might I have a candle?" she asked when Saruman had seated himself at the table. Instead of giving her one, he tapped his staff so that the light at the end illuminated the room more fully. It would suffice. 

After a minute, Saruman motioned to the chair beside him and brought up, "You have recently spent a great deal of time in Rivendell with the Elves." 

"Yes, at my father's command," Emerald nodded, taking the seat despite her instincts warning her against it. Of course, her instinct reaction was to run as far from this place as possible. 

"I see. Might you have overheard anything of consequence while you were there?" 

"You mean about Sauron's ring?" she asked, looking sideways at him. 

"Perhaps." 

She shook her head, "Not very much. They don't want to concern me much with things like that, though they aren't very careful what they say around whom. That's how I heard of your plans and learned about the ring and everything. You can just be strolling through the gardens and then suddenly they're talking about Sauron and you hear it through an open window," Emerald rambled. 

"Is that so?" 

"Why yes it's so," Emerald repeated. Saruman ignored the childishness in her, his eyes staring out through the dark windows. 

After a moment of this reverie, Saruman suggested, "I think you should return to Imladris." 

"What? Why would I want to do that?" 

He grinned, "Because no one suspects that you have joined with me, correct?" 

"Yes." 

"Yes, you most certainly should return to Imladris. Find for me precisely where the ring is and what exactly Elrond is planning. Once you have discovered this, return to me." 

Emerald smiled and laughed, "So I get to be a spy? How exciting!" 

Her immature, naive excitement made him grin, "Yes, it shall be quite fun for you, yet a very important task." 

"Don't worry; I can handle it," she insisted. "I'll go first thing in the morning. No one will think anything of me eavesdropping, though they'll surely be furious with me for disappearing on them like I did to come here." 

"Where do they believe you are?" 

"Oh, they haven't the faintest idea. I slipped away in the night and left a note saying I was off to explore. They'll be furious for sure." 

Saruman didn't care about them being angry with her, though, and had turned back to his books where he remained perusing for some time, leaving Emerald to sit by herself and idly flip through some books about the Silmarils. She knew very little about them, actually. 

"Where are the Silmarils?" she suddenly asked, not too concerned about interrupting Saruman's study. He glanced at her momentarily, then back to his work, then decided to humor her curiosity. 

"What do you know of them?" 

Emerald racked her brain for a moment, then launched into, "Well Feanor created them, right? They had a part of him in them, as well as the pure light of the Two Trees. Then the trees were destroyed and Melkor stole them and wore them in a crown for a while. Then they were recovered but two of Feanor's sons stole them from the Valar and went crazy for it. I don't know what happened after that, though." 

Saruman finished for her, "Feanor's sons, Maedhros and Maglor went mad from the wickedness of their deeds in stealing two of the Silmarils. One leapt into a fiery chasm and the other into the depths of the sea, both taking with them their Silmarils so that now only one remains, known to you as the Morning and Evening star." 

"Oh." Emerald let this sink in. "Well thank you." 

Saruman returned again to his work, but Emerald was bored with it and finally sighed, "I'm afraid I'm terribly tired. Might I have a room for the night?" 

"Yes, yes, there is one for you already. The creature outside the door will lead you there if you ask," he explained without looking at her. Obviously she was annoying him, but that was fine with her. Wishing him a good night, she ventured outside and looked down at the orc perched by the door, a lantern in his hand. 

"I'm told you can lead me to my room," she posed, trying to keep the grimace from her face. 

"Yes, my lady. Follow Briulk," he nodded. Instantly he took off in his limping gait, the lantern swinging in his hand. He was quick on his maimed legs, though, and Emerald had to step quickly to keep up. The room he led her to wasn't far and was actually the same one she had stayed in years ago with her father. Inside had stayed the same. The creature set the lantern on the table beside the bed, then disappeared from the room, closing the door behind him with his sharp fingers. 

Emerald waited until his heavy tread had disappeared down the hall before throwing herself onto the uncomfortable bed and burying her face in the musty pillow. 

"What am I doing here?" she asked. Though she had managed to keep her calm all day, this didn't feel real. Maybe this had been a mistake. Why had she decided she needed to come speak with Saruman in the first place? 

Well, now she had his trust. Now she knew about his army of orcs and Uruk-hai. Now she knew where his army was created and kept, and what precisely his plans were. She was safe from attack by him because he thought she was his accomplice, and she could use his resources. She had a connection that no one else in the entire world had. 

Her bag had been set on a chair by the table. She hadn't brought her book, leaving it with the men lest it fall into the wrong hands, but she felt its absence like a dull pain. She had her ring, though, and though it showed her nothing by looking into the jewel, it at least gave her some comfort as she crawled beneath the stiff blankets. 

"Well, even if this does turn out to be a waste of a month, at least no harm was done," she mused, staring suspiciously around the room. Long shadows played on the wall, and the drab greys and blues of the room made it look as cold and lonely as she felt. Morning couldn't come quickly enough.

* * *

The sun could hardly penetrate the thick glass and heavy curtains of the bedroom, but Emerald was up not long after it had risen, the cold not stirring from her fingers and toes until she had been moving around the room for several minutes. She gathered her things, then stepped outside to see about some food before she departed on her mission from Saruman. 

The same orc creature from the night before was waiting to accompany her back to the dining hall where food had been left out. She ate with him hovering in the doorway, then followed him again to the office where Saruman didn't appear to have moved from his desk through the whole night. 

"Good morning," Emerald greeted, not sure if the dark circles under Saruman's eyes were the result of late nights, old age, or a heavy conscience. 

"Good morning, my child." 

Emerald stood awkwardly before him for a moment, then suggested, "I think I'll get going soon if I'm going to make it all the way to Rivendell before they do anything. The sooner I leave the sooner I get there . . . " 

"Excellent," Saruman agreed, sharing a conspiring smile with her. "What will you need?" 

"Oh, nothing, I don't think. Just Occamy and my bag and I'm set." 

"Wonderful. Then you are free to leave when you wish." 

Emerald nodded before admitting, "Actually, I wanted to ask a favor of you." 

"Yes?" 

"As a sign of your trust, don't have anyone follow me." 

Saruman glanced up at that, turning away from his work so as to ask, "Oh? And why would I send someone to follow you?" 

"You had that werewolf follow me before . . . " 

"I see." Saruman grinned and looked at her with absolute admiration, "Yes, you are a clever girl." He glanced out the window, then pressed, "Do you know why I trust you, Princess? No one else would I trust were they to simply walk through my door and ask to join me." 

"Why?" 

"Because, Princess, you and I are very much alike. We both see the world for what it is, and we both want to save it and have it. Unlike everyone else, though, we realize that the world will not survive if left to itself. There must be a ruler to keep things in order. I am meant for that and you are meant to join me. I knew it when I caught you with the Palantir as a child." 

Emerald smiled, "Yes, well, you seemed to know much then that it is taking the rest of us longer to figure out." 

"You are not far behind," Saruman assured her. 

"Do I have your word, then? Your word that you will not send anyone or anything to spy on me?" 

Saruman nodded and waved dismissingly, "Yes, yes, you have my word." 

"I will know if you break your word to me, and if you do, I will not tell you a thing. I will keep the ring for myself." 

Saruman laughed, "I have no doubt of that, my lady. But the serpent does not strike his own tale. I will not send a spy after you. Now go. Find me my ring." 

"I will find it, my lord," Emerald nodded. Then, with one final curtsy, she fled, stopping only long enough to snatch her bag from her room. Occamy was waiting for outside the door, still in fair condition. He appeared to have suffered no hardships during the night. 

With a final glance at the daunting tower and the crooked wizard that Emerald knew was watching her from the window, she mounted and hurried from Isengard, the gate just barely opening in time for her departure. She turned toward the forest and did not stop until the trees were too thick for Occamy to race through. From there she picked her way anxiously to the spot she had departed from her companions, hoping with everything in her that they would remain safely there. 

When she reached the spot, a first glance showed no signs of life except for some footprints left by creatures decidedly not of the human or Elf race. Momentarily, though, Tegryn dropped from a tree. 

"Orcs came scouting around here last night, so we went deeper into the forest," he explained. "We thought about just taking them down –that's what I wanted to do– but Alagedh said it would probably be better just to not be found–" 

"Yes, I'm glad," Emerald nodded, thinking to herself, _So he sent scouts to decide if I was really alone or not. He's not so stupid as I thought._

She followed Tegryn about a mile deeper into the forest to where Alagedh and Hergest were lounging lazily against the trees, obviously bored to be just sitting around doing nothing. When Tegryn and she stepped into the clearing, both leapt up 

Alagedh sighed, "Thank the Valar you're back. It was against everything in me to let you–" 

"So what happened?" 

Emerald paused, glanced between the three, then shrugged, "Saruman thinks that I'm on his side and that I'll help him rule Middle Earth once I find out where the ring of Sauron is and bring it to him." 

"Ah." Silence. "Well that should be fun. Can we head back to Imladris yet?" Hergest asked. 

"Yes, let's go. I want to get away from this place as fast as we can," Emerald nodded, leading the way. The men quickly gathered their things up and fell into step, once again trailing obediently as they headed back into the Fangorn Forest. 

The day of travel wasn't any different from what Emerald had gotten used to in this past year. She frowned when she thought of just how much time she had spent traveling. As a little girl, it had been her dream to see the world. Now she had learned the harsh reality that while seeing places was all that she had hoped it was, being actually on the road was usually about as boring as it got except when the occasional problem arose. 

Reading the book provided little distraction. It had nothing to report except that people were still scouting and Saruman was still working on his Uruk-hai creations. The ring showed nothing. The forest was dark and suffocating at times, and Emerald found it difficult to sleep. Every time her eyes closed, she saw the deep caverns, the yellow eyes of the orcs, the sharp wrinkles of Saruman. Her dreams were filled with horrible images of her brothers and parents being ripped to pieces by these filthy creatures, of the Hobbits falling prey to Sauron's dark forces, of Rivendell and her home Arathilien being razed to the ground. It was a nightmare that the forest did nothing to rid her of. 

She couldn't tell her brothers or Alagedh about any of it. It wasn't that she _couldn't_ tell them what she had seen, but they wouldn't understand. It meant nothing to them. She would have to internalize it until she could speak to Mithrandir or Lord Elrond. 

To try and make the two weeks of travel pass, Emerald did her best to remain cheerful and upbeat. She sang when she could and tried to make jokes. But not sleeping at night wore on her and robbed her of her appetite. This stole her energy away, and the curiosity that usually fueled her every move disappeared until she spent most of the day riding along in silence. 

It was a gross understatement to say that Tegryn, Hergest, and Alagedh worried about her. They constantly asked after her health and did everything they could to support her and lift her spirits. They couldn't understand why what she had told them about talking with Saruman had disturbed her so much, but it obviously had and they worried. Singing with her made her force a smile. Joking with her made her force a laugh. Standing guard at night made her try to sleep. 

At times Emerald would do better. She would seem better. Her laughter would ring out again for a while as she studied some curious leaf or watched some strange new bird. But then she would slip back into her low mood and the smiles and laughter would be forced again and the men would push the pace, determined to cover distance as quickly as possibly. If they could just get her back to Imladris, they were sure her spirits would lift again. She just needed out of the forest, off the road, back into a nice warm bed where she could recover from whatever horror it was she had seen with Saruman that she wasn't telling them about despite their pressing questions. 

They were still three days from Rivendell when Emerald collapsed for the first time. All three men leapt to her aid and Alagedh splashed her face with cool water while Tegryn and Hergest watched on anxiously. After several minutes, Emerald came to, insisting she was fine, that it had just been a little spell. It seemed to alert her companions to the fact that something truly was wrong, though. Something more serious than simply having a few nightmares and being in a bad mood. 

They were still two days away from Rivendell when Emerald collapsed for the second. This time, though, no matter how much cool water they splashed on her face, she wouldn't wake up. She didn't respond to anything they tried and only grew paler and colder to the touch. There was nothing they could think to do but pick up the pace and ride through the night, and nothing but her shallow breathing to assure them she was still alive at all. 


	23. Chapter 23

"Shhh, you'll wake her up."

"But I thought that's what we were tryin' to do."

"Not like that."

"Like what?"

"All loud like. It's rude."

"Right. You want a gentle awakening. You know. Soft like."

A door opened.

"What are you doing in here?"

"Well we're just waiting for–"

"You shouldn't be in here. She's resting."

"Well yes, but we'd like her to wake up now."

"You shouldn't be in a lady's room while she–"

"Oh, hush," Emerald sighed, turning her face into her pillow and moaning. The harsh light that her eyes had been oblivious to in slumber now made them throb with a dull ache. She at once felt as though she had slept for months and hadn't slept in a year. Her fingers tingled; her head swam a bit; the chittering voices that had stirred her fell instantly silent.

However, this silence was soon exchanged for an exclaimed, "Lady, you're awake!"

"Emerald, how are you feeling?"

"Would you care for something to drink?"

"What, is the whole world in my chamber?" she asked, still staring into the pillow. Slowly, she pulled back and sat up, clutching at her head. The room tilted and dipped before her eyes, but after taking a sip of whatever was thrust into her free hand, it settled and she was able to make out the four hobbits perched on the foot of her wide bed, Hegryn and Tergest to her right, Alagedh to her left, and Lady Arwen just coming through the door.

"Oh, Princess, you're awake!"

"Yes, I would hate to miss my own party," she quipped. All those in her chamber relaxed, happy to hear that her voice sounded the same, that faint as it might be, her smile was still the same. At Arwen's encouragement, she drank more of the viscous liquid and asked warily, "What happened to me?"

"You don't remember?" Hergest pressed, to which Alagedh pointed out, "She passed out. You rarely remember much when you pass out."

"Well, not if you've suffered a concussion," Tegryn agreed. "But she didn't. Did you?"

Emerald made a face, "I don't know! I don't think so..."

"She never hit her head," Hergest added.

With a sigh, Emerald asked, "Does that mean nobody knows what happened?"

"Well we all know you passed out," Sam offered helpfully, crawling off the bed to pat her hand comfortingly. "But it's all right because you're awake now."

"Yes, we've been waiting for you to wake up. Everyone wants to know what you've been up to and they wouldn't say a word," Frodo added. Emerald was surprised to see him here, waiting for her as well. Because Frodo had spent such a good deal of his time before sleeping off his own ailment, and then recounting old times with his Uncle Bilbo, she hadn't quite developed the relationship with him that she had with Sam, Merry, and Pippin.

Turning a curious glance to Tegryn and Hergest, they shrugged, "We... well, you know, it's _your_ business. We just sort of went along for the ride and–" They shared a look with Alagedh, who clamped his lips together for Emerald. They had promised not to tell, and so they hadn't.

"Are you hungry?" Pippin suddenly asked. The subtlety and mystery were all lost on him. He scrambled off the bed, insisting, "You must be starving. Haven't eaten in over a week–"

"A week!" Emerald repeated, sitting up straighter.

Arwen gave her a reassuring smile, "You slept hard. Father believes you were simply exhausted. You hadn't been sleeping well?"

"No... no, I hadn't," Emerald agreed, but it made her think. A week! Why had she just slept so soundly for a _week_? Where was Beven to give her answers?

As if reading her mind, Tegryn offered, "Gildas is still gone, scouting around with some of the rangers. Beven is here. He's holed up in the library. Sometimes I'm sure he's going to die there, and no one's going to notice."

"You must be starving," Pippin repeated, and this time Merry was quick to join the pressure. "They can bring you food here–"

"Oh, will you stop thinkin' about your own stomachs for a minute?" Sam interrupted, shooting them a look.

Emerald smiled at his concern and the guilty expressions on poor Merry's and Pippin's faces, then assured them with a gentle nod, "It's all right. I am quite famished, but let's go to the kitchens to eat. I feel as though I haven't been out of bed in the longest time!"

"Well, perhaps you should put on something else first," Alagedh quickly suggested, turning away as though Emerald had just shoved the covers back to reveal her naked body. In all actuality, her bed gown was concealing every inch of skin between her toes, wrists, and neck, but it was the concept of it all. He quickly left the room, tugging the hobbits with him, her brothers rolling their eyes. It was just their sister, after all. They had seen her running around naked as a child more times than they could count, almost as many times as they had done likewise.

All the faces that Emerald met out of her room were friendly and encouraging, all expressing appreciation that she had finally arisen from her sleep of pure exhaustion. That seemed to be the running story: that a series of nightmares had prevented her from resting for too long until she finally collapsed. The hobbits gladly filled her in on the comings and goings of the people present. and it seemed most of the house remained out scouring the hills and valleys, forests and streams of Arda. For what, Emerald knew they had only a very faint notion.

It wasn't until much later in the evening that, upon private council with Lord Elrond and Beven, Emerald found out the deeper happenings. Most of those in attendance at the council had been sent out on scouting missions under strict orders to return within two month's time. Though all found Emerald's actions foolish and unnecessary, the fact that Hergest, Tegryn, and Alagedh were with her had at least provided some comfort that allowed Imladris to sleep at night. In a fit of anger that his little sister and brothers had defied him, Gildas had joined Aragorn and several other Rangers headed to the north. Mithrandir had gone in search of Radagast. The House was overall deadly silent, even the birds' song seeming lackluster in the cautious, timid environment. All the waiting around was about driving those left behind mad, and Emerald felt for them.

"It's not time yet, though," she sighed, shaking her head when Elrond pressed her. Beven and he had apparently shared much council in her absence, and the similarities in mannerisms and expressions amused Emerald despite the seriousness of the situation. Actually, Beven looked a good deal more like Lord Elrond than he did their own father. Her mind wandered, fabricating some intricate affair between her mother and Lord Elrond that had resulted in the birth of Beven. Perhaps Gildas, too, was the result of one of these affairs. Or more likely, perhaps Gildas was an orcling that had been left on their doorstep as a baby. That seemed a much more likely story.

Emerald's mental distractions didn't end at the meeting with Lord Elrond and Beven. Rather, her imaginative mind seemed to go into overdrive, so that over the next few weeks, much of her time was spent sharing with her brothers and hobbit friends the hundreds of stories that had been collected from so many travelers to her kingdom. Frodo even teased her that in another hundred years, she would have almost as many stories to tell as Uncle Bilbo. It was as though she couldn't focus at all on the seriousness, and perhaps that was good and perhaps that was bad. Her friends seemed the better for it, but Emerald lay awake at night confused by her own renewed immaturity.

Two by two the scouts returned to Rivendell within the allotted time. Emerald's reunion with Gildas was an uncomfortable affair as he ignored the whole spat to the point of ignoring her, so that the two nodded in acknowledgment of the other as though they were in no way related. It made Emerald cringe inside, but she supposed it preferable to having to fight his will to do her own. Someday he would understand, she hoped.

"Alagedh, don't!" Emerald laughed, batting him away. He stepped back and held his hands up, then motioned to the bow held awkwardly in her dainty hands. "No, I know what I'm doing! Just let me play with it for a while."

Alagedh shook his head at her stubbornness but relented, "All right, my lady, I'll let you do as you wish. You're the one that wants to learn this, though, and it's difficult to pick up without any sort of–"

"Well leave that I might prove you wrong," Emerald insisted. She shot him a pointed look, not really annoyed with him, but hoping he could sense her growing frustration. He did and excused himself. Since their return from Orthanc, he had become protective to the point of suffocating –not in anything particular he did, but in how underfoot he always seemed to be. Emerald supposed it was just that their little adventure and her little fainting spell had finally alerted him to what she had been trying to convince everyone of for sometime: that the world was a dangerous place and there might come a time, nay, probably would come a time when she would need to be able to take care of herself. She hadn't done so well on her own before.

Well, he could go help out with the Yule preparations. Though festivities would be at an all-time low due to the somber mood of the House, the feast at least promised to be a good one and Uncle Bilbo would probably sing and the hobbits would probably dance with her and maybe Lord Aragorn could be persuaded to tell a story. Yes, Emerald had high hopes for the Yule feast, and perhaps that was why she now kept busy, attempting to teach herself archery. It was something to occupy her mind in the hours that seemed to stretch out before the feast.

Emerald faced the angled piece of wood granted the unfortunate destiny of her target. Of course, since she couldn't actually shoot, perhaps it wasn't such a death sentence. She raised the bow and settled an arrow into the groove her finger made with the bow, positioned the cock-feather, pulled back on the taut string...

And groaned as the arrow fell lifelessly to the ground the instant she let go the bow.

"Stupid–"

"You did not nock the arrow."

Emerald glanced up just as Legolas of Mirkwood stepped onto the platform, his arms crossed regally across his chest.

"What?"

He scooped the arrow off the ground and, holding the back end towards her, pointed out a small notch carved into the butt of the arrow.

"Hold the bow up," he ordered, and Emerald couldn't help but feel he had grown a bit bossier since their last meeting some three months before. She did as he instructed, though, and paid attention as he set the arrow in for her. "The string fits into the notch," he explained, carefully slipping the shaft between her fingers so that she could hold it in place. "Not all arrows have the notch there, so then you must just hold the butt of the arrow against the string. Now try."

Emerald let go, and though the arrow did not have nearly enough force to penetrate the target, it at least bounced off the piece of wood.

Legolas grinned, "Good. You have already improved."

"How long were you watching me?" Emerald asked, turning a raised eyebrow to him. "Long enough to see me tell Alagedh that I didn't need his help and then offer your own anyway?"

"Your Alagedh is not the archer I am," he responded cooly. Then, as though realizing the challenging tone his words could carry, he quickly added, "And then Alagedh has had your delightful company for several weeks now--"

"Which is your doing, after all," Emerald interrupted She nocked another arrow as he had instructed, took aim, and watched with a frustrated frown as it again merely bounced off the target.

"Is that so?"

She nodded, "Yes. I'm quite sure that if you hadn't gone directly to my brothers and told them I was running away, they would not have discovered me missing until morning. Then, when you told them I had gone in search of Radagast . . . but that's not what you told them."

"Then what did I tell them, Princess?"

"I'm not quite sure. But chances are that if you had shared I had gone off in search of Radagast, and if then the entire House assumed my accidental party were all off looking for Radagast, Mithrandir too would not have gone in search of him. It would be sending an army to catch a kitten." Though of course Radagast was no kitten, and Mithrandir, having now returned from his search, had shared that Radagast was not to be found at home. Emerald wondered if he actually was visiting Tom Bombadil, as she had lied.

Legolas thought on this for a moment, then mused, "You are not as clever as you think. I did indeed run into your brothers on the way back to my room, and shared with them that you had gone in search of Radagast, though it was clear to all, and is clearer now, that you did not."

Emerald crossed her arms awkwardly while still holding the bow and insisted, "Well don't ask what I did instead, because I'm sure not telling you anything now that I know you can't be trusted. You promised not to tell and you did." She hadn't meant to come across annoyed, though she realized now that she partially was. Yes, she appreciated that Hergest, Tegryn, and Alagedh had been there to accompany her, and yes, that was basically thanks to Legolas of Mirkwood, but that didn't change that he had not kept his word to her. She nocked another arrow.

Instead of being wounded as Emerald had hoped he would be by her words, Legolas pulled an arrow from the quiver by his feet and, inspecting the fletching, inquired, "I heard you were recently ill, lady? That you fell so during your travels? It is fortunate your brothers and your Alagedh were there to safely bring you back."

Emerald's eyes narrowed as she took aim and her jaw hardened at his point. A valid point, but she didn't appreciate the cocky tone he had taken with her. With an indignant huff, she let the arrow fly and hardly felt a thrill when it penetrated the wood just the slightest bit. A gentle breeze quickly knocked it out and it clattered to the ground.

"Yes, it is highly fortunate, though it is also possible that without them I would have not fallen ill, or else would have already returned to Imladris before I fell ill. Did you consider that, my lord?" she retorted sharply, turning an unhappy glare at him.

For as young and foolish as Legolas claimed to be, he was at least observant in most instances. He had only been teasing, hoping to portray in a friendly way that her silly antics had been missed during his time away. Afraid that his father would keep him should he return, Legolas had not been among those scouts to return to Mirkwood, instead venturing with Aragorn and the other Rangers down the Greyflood and along the old North Road. He enjoyed the men's company most of the time, but they had not quite the charm and quirkiness that the young princess did.

But seeing Emerald's flashing eyes and pointed chin, Legolas ducked his head, "My apologies, Princess. I did not mean to anger you." He was gone before she could reply.

Emerald remained only long enough to miss the target twice more before stomping off to explain the whole thing to Tegryn and Hergest, joining them for a lengthy game of coins on one of the patios. She remained uncharacteristically silent until Hegrest finally sighed and asked what was wrong with her highness now. She ignored the teasing, complained of Legolas' impertinence, and felt her whole chest tighten up when they merely laughed in her face.

"You're just upset that someone finally got the better of you," Tegryn snorted, slapping his knee to punctuate his amusement at her expense. "Someone finally didn't do exactly what you told them to. Good for him!"

"That's not true," she insisted. "Alagedh gets the better of my all the time. He's always talking me out of things."

"I? Never, Princess," Alagedh teased, coming up from behind. "I wouldn't dream of getting the better of you. You're far too clever for me."

"You'd never try anyways," Tegryn laughed.

Alagedh gave him a stare full of humor on a level that went over Emerald's head, then insisted to, "But come, there's a celebration beginning and I believe your presence is sorely needed. No one has yet spiked the punch, spilled a tray, tripped a guest, or knocked the fire out of the hearth."

Emerald rolled her eyes, "I believe everyone is out to prickle me today." But these antics she could laugh at; they were not someone, a lesser-ranking someone at that, playing superiority over her, merely a guard laughing at the antics of his ward. Cheerful once again, she slipped her arms through her brothers' and let them escort her, feeling her heart rise as the voices oozed out from the curtained archways of the dining hall.

"Lady! You're here!" Merry cheered, nearly face-planting before her as Pippin knocked into him, his hands full of some crispy pastry. "I was just coming to find you."

"I have no doubt of that," she grinned, plucking one of the pastries from Pippin's hand. He sent her a wide-eyed stare, as though surprised that someone should dare steal food from a hobbit's hand. He couldn't ask for it back now, though, as it traveled quickly down her throat. He considered it until she swallowed.

Emerald giggled and tapped Pippin on the nose, then insisted, "All right, Merry. Come teach me a dance of the Shire. I want to fit in when I come to visit." Merry gave Pippin a goofy grin, hoping Pippin took note of who she asked to dance first. He puffed his chest out and proudly offered his arm, then strutted off with the elven princess at his side.

"Happy Yule!" Pippin called after them, pouting with his cheeks full of pastry. He would just have to make sure he got the last dance, he decided, then ventured back to the table to refill his hands.


	24. Chapter 24

Emerald couldn't sleep again. More and more lately, she found herself wandering the hallways of the House late at night, her ears perked for the footsteps of other Elves resting as they walked. Arwen had mused that perhaps she was merely becoming more like the Elf she was, no longer needing the shut eye that she had been raised on. Hegrest and Tegryn agreed she was probably restless being stuck in the House yet again, and Alagedh had assured her that if she wished to travel home, she could. That was certainly not an option, though. If nothing else than that in leaving, she would lose all the company of Imladris, which she had grown dearly fond of. Yes, there were those she missed at home –Falnor, the cook; Lonora, a maid in the house who always taught her songs. And most certainly Mama and Papa. At times Emerald's longing for them grew so unbearable that a great weight was rolled onto her chest and all the breath rushed from her lungs.

Frodo proved her companion on many of these nights, sometimes walking the gardens with her, other times sitting serenely on the wall beside her and staring down at the black water below. Their conversations were always shallow and innocent recollections of home, of Bag End, of the palace at Arathilien, of what it felt like to run your fingers through long blades of grass, of what it felt like for the sea breeze to blow back your hair. Each conversation made Emerald and Frodo both long even more for home, and both their hearts break more for the dark times that only a fool would deny were to come.

Two days since the Yule Feast, and Emerald was amazed at how quickly the festivities had been forgotten. Winter had taken hold of the House, coating everything with a layer of crystal. Diamonds hung from the naked tree branches and capped the edges of the River, and her nose and cheeks were a constant shade of rose. Emerald strayed through the dark halls a while before finally deciding Frodo had been scared away by the cold and she would get no tales of the Shire from him tonight. She returned to her room, stepped carelessly through the door without first looking, and then nearly screamed to see the figure perched on her windowsill. She opened her mouth to yell for help, to call for Alagedh or anyone else who had a room nearby, but then the face turned to her and she let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Váromë, you scared me," Emerald frowned, stepping closer. "Why are you– I haven't fallen asleep somewhere dangerous, have I?"

Váromë let out a high, tinkling laugh and assured her, "No, Princess, you have not. You are safely standing right here before me as much as you were in Tharbad."

"Why have you come? Last time you came in a dream–"

"Come sit with me, Emerald," Váromë encouraged, patting the windowsill beside her. Emerald hesitated only a moment before joining the girl at the window. It was warm here beside her, strangely enough, and though a light and gentle snow had begun to fall, it did not reach them. They sat for several long minutes, staring out at the falling snow and the quiet night. Just when Emerald began to wonder if maybe there was no reason at all for this visit, Váromë pressed, "What do you know of Eru, Princess?"

"Eru? The One?" Váromë nodded. Emerald racked her brain but shrugged after a moment, "Not much. I mean, I have been told the story of Eru creating the Ainur and teaching them the music so that through them the world was created. But Papa has always said that Eru is removed from us and apathetic to our troubles, so that we need not concern ourselves with him."

Váromë let her finish before offering, "In many ways your father is right, but in many ways he is wrong. Eru has not always been an apathetic being, as those of Arda believe. He was at one time dearly devoted to his children here in Arda and to watching over their lives with all the love and adoration of a father."

"At one time?"

"You see, Emerald, when your papa tells you no, or does not let you do precisely what you want, do you hate him?"

Emerald's face showed alarm as she insisted, "Of course not. I'm upset with him, but I never hate him."

"Toward Eru, those feelings are a hundred times stronger. When the Elves and Men of this world grew tired of Eru no longer serving them, they quit serving him. If he was not willing to make their lives go precisely as they prayed, what use was praying to him?"

"But if you're comparing this to a parent-child relationship," Emerald mused, "Couldn't it just mean that sometimes he knows better?"

Váromë grinned, "Precisely. That is precisely what has happened. People become angry with Eru for interfering, and angry with him for _not_ interfering. So they slander his name in their histories, destroy his temples, and place all the emphasis on the Valar, whom they feel are much more approachable and much more willing to listen."

"Are they?"

"In some sense, yes. What parent, when he receives nothing but hatred and berating from his child, will not turn a deaf ear over time?"

Emerald sighed and shook her head, "And now we could use his intervention more than ever. With Sauron threatening all of Middle Earth–"

"And Sauron will be nothing should Melkor return," Váromë interrupted. Emerald froze, her jaw hanging opening. Slowly she turned her wide eyes to Váromë.

"_Will_ Melkor return?"

"That," Váromë answered, "is entirely up to Middle Earth."

"How so? If we can hardly stage a defense against Sauron, who was only ever the student of Melkor–"

Again Váromë interrupted, this time placing her dainty hand on Emerald's and insisting, "You are not sounding so hopeful as the last time we talked. It sounds almost as though your hope is giving way to despair."

"If so much rests on me as I fear, there is little hope to be had."

"Ah, but Lord Elrond does not feel so. Nor Mithrandir, nor Lord Aragorn. Your brothers remain faithfully be your side. The Hobbits here have come to adore you, and there is not an Elf in this House that would not lay down his life for you. It seems you are more fit to sway hearts than any in Middle Earth. Even the dark lord Saruman is not so immune to your charms as to not invite you foolishly into confidence. Thus is the effect of pretty girls," Váromë argued.

Emerald felt her cheeks flush as she nodded, "Well, I _do_ make friends easily, but that doesn't mean I know anything that I'm talking about, and now I'm supposed to come up with who is supposed to go on this quest that will all be pointless if Melkor is coming back."

"Nine will go on the quest," Váromë explained, patting Emerald's hand and pulling back. "Nine Walkers of good versus the Nine Riders of evil."

"Yes, but _which_ Nine? Frodo is going, and Sam. Mithrandir wishes to go, as does Aragorn. I know Gildas would be beside himself with joy to get sent along, and I–"

"You are not meant for this quest, Emerald," Váromë interrupted before Emerald could say anything similar. "You have a quest of your own, much greater and far more important than destroying a trinket. You told me before that you believe we make our own fate."

"Yes, I still do, though not as much as before," Emerald nodded.

"Oh?"

"Well look at things right now. We are staging an entire war on what I say, and what I say I'm told by a book and a girl that no one else can see but me!"

Váromë laughed again and nodded, "Very good, Emerald. You have it figured out."

"Have _what_ figured out?"

"Free will. Eru. Fate. They are not so independent as your fellow creatures believe. At one time, people prayed to Eru daily to influence the weather, their neighbors, and their own lives. Now they have stopped praying, Eru has stopped responding, and Middle Earth does not realize how close it is to being wiped clean and created anew."

"By Sauron and Melkor?"

"By Eru."

"By Eru!" Emerald repeated with a gasp. "But he created us!"

"Aye, from dust to dust. What thou has created, thou may destroy. Eru has graced the peoples of Middle Earth with free will, and in exchange they have grown too independent for him, unwilling to love that which created them and gave them the very ability to draw breath. He has not said anything directly to the Valar, but the rumor is that Eru has plans to start again, this time creating creatures without free will, forced to love and serve him because they know nothing different."

Emerald frowned, "But that means everyone here must be destroyed."

"Yes."

"Well then this is all hopeless unless there is a way to change Eru's mind, and don't you go telling me I have to get the entire of Middle Earth to start worshiping him again, because I know my limits, and that is definitely beyond them."

"No," Váromë assured her with a smile, "You don't have to do that. You must simply do as you are. Do your best. Know your people and lead them rightly when the time comes. The Valar are not omniscient and they do not know what can turn the heart of Eru. They will search for a way, for they care very much about the creatures of Middle Earth, even when they too are forgotten."

"But if there's nothing to be done, why have you told me all this about Eru? All you've done is terrify me and make me feel even worse about my position," Emerald pouted.

"Because, Emerald, while the Nine Walkers will be linked inextricably to the One Ring, you will be linked inextricably to the Nine Walkers. That was the fate that Eru divined for you long before you were a thought in your parents' minds. At all costs, you must do everything that you possibly can that the Nine Walkers succeed."

"At all costs," Emerald repeated, glancing warily at Váromë. "When people say that, they usually mean even if you have to sacrifice your life."

"I pray that it will not come to that, Emerald, for I know that many hearts would be broken without your presence in Middle Earth. But your fate remains, at all costs. Hopefully it will not come to what you fear."

"Hopefully," Emerald snorted. "But . . . I don't . . ."

"Ask it, Emerald."

"Why me?"

Váromë smiled and shook her head, "To be honest, which I would never be anything but with you, Emerald: I myself am not sure. Eru's ways are often mysterious even to those closest to him, and it was he that selected you for this position. Perhaps he sees in you a great ability that none other in this world possess. Or perhaps it is simply that you are the only one that will listen to all of this."

"I'm the only one foolish enough to accept my involvement in all of this."

"Bravery is not so far removed from foolish."

Emerald paused and remembered her conversation with Legolas so long ago. He had said almost the same exact thing.

"But either way," Váromë continued, again taking Emerald's hand. "For months now –nay, for _years_– you and all of Middle Earth have lain in wait, anticipating and preparing and defending against the mounting attacks. Now, Emerald, preparations have been made and the scouts have returned and the Yule has passed. It is time to set the wheels of Middle Earth in motion, and we can only pray for the result."

"The result that we win or the result that Eru again remembers his love for us and decides not to destroy us all?"

"Possibly they are the same result," Váromë offered. Emerald thought back to all the things she had done so far. Seeing the sign; having the dreams; watching in her ring; coming to Imladris; sitting in on the Council; going to visit Elrond. As though reading her thoughts, Váromë added, "You have been at work for some time, I know, Emerald. Now it is time for you to get your people working for you as well, all for the same cause."

Emerald hesitated and glanced out at the snow. It was falling a bit harder now, in thicker sheets, big crystals dancing down on the slight breeze to congregate on any flat surface. It was so beautiful, beautiful in a way that Arathilien winters were not. They rarely got snow, and it never stuck long, though bothersome ice was frequent. But here in Imladris, there was something quite magical about winter. But soon, she knew, day would come eventually, and the sun would begin to melt the snow, and busy feet would mix the flakes with the mud, marring the pure whiteness.

With a deep sigh and a half-hearted grin, Emerald asked, "What must I do?"

"Once the wheels start, there will be no stopping them until things run their course–"

"Or there's a crash," Emerald laughed. "But come. The sooner we start, the sooner we cross the finish line. Tell me what I must do to. Who do I send on this journey?"

"Don't you know?"

"Well there was that poem, but I haven't yet remembered the rest of it."

"What was the poem?"

Emerald turned to her and recited what she remembered,

"_You may know of coming doom,  
but be brave, little one.  
For as sure as roses bloom,  
The battle's just begun. _

A hobbit comes to save the earth,  
Three more to save their friend.  
An elven peasant of noble birth.  
Son of Gloin the Dwarves will send.  
One comes from a white city far away  
And the heir of a king unknown to all;  
The wizard who for now is grey.  
Nine who will fight for Sauron's fall.  
Yet one more goes, not glory seeking.  
An elfling girl, for Valar's keeping."

"It sounds to me like you remember it all," Váromë mused with a knowing smile. Emerald opened her mouth to object, then let her eyes go wide. In a flurry of skirts and curls, she dove across the room to grab a looseleaf and a pen and began jotting it down on the fresh page, frantic lest it slip again from her mind. To her satisfaction, she managed to get it all down without again forgetting a word. 

With a triumphant grin, she turned to Váromë to say, "Good, now I just have to figure out who–" but Váromë was already gone, disappeared into the ethereal night. The snow had begun to fall again.

Emerald glanced back down at the page. She was obviously the elfling girl, though she knew for a fact she wasn't one of the Nine. The wizard had to be Mithrandir, though the part about grey made no sense for her. The son of Gloin was pretty straight forward, as were the four hobbits. The elven peasant of noble birth was confusing, though she was almost positive the heir was Aragorn. Didn't Boromir come from Gondor, which was known as the white city?

This couldn't wait until morning, she decided. She would wake Beven up; he would understand. Without bothering to grab a light, she yanked the journal open, flung her door open, and shrieked to find Mithrandir and Lord Elrond standing in her doorway, Mithrandir raising his arm to knock.

Mithrandir stared her straight in the eye, then commented, "You have been touched by the Valar! What did they tell you?"

"Aye, Eru, you frightened me! You should not sneak up on me like that," Emerald insisted, shaking her head and putting her hand over her racing heart. "And it wasn't a Valar here; only Váromë."

"Váromë?" Lord Elrond began, but before he could continue to question on this mysterious presence, Emerald explained, "It's unimportant. What matters is that I have the list of who's meant to go." Still standing in the doorway, she recited the poem, then looked up at them, anxious to see their reaction.

"You say this Váromë figure told you this poem?"

"Well, no, not quite. I've remembered it –the one you would always tell me in that dream, Lord Elrond."

"Are we to believe that you are to join these–"

"No, no," Emerald shook her head emphatically. "I thought maybe so too, but no. I have . . . other things to see to."

"And what might-" Lord Elrond began, but Mithrandir cut him short with a hand gently laid on his arm.

With a nod of his great beard, Mithrandir agreed, "So be it, Lady Emerald. We will assemble this crew. And when are these–"

"–The Nine Walkers–"

"These Nine Walkers. When are they to leave?"

"As soon as possible. Tomorrow, if they can. The sooner they're off, the sooner they'll cross the finish line," she giggled, now almost overcome by the sudden adrenaline flowing through her veins. Elrond and Mithrandir's odd timing of their arrival at her door had given her a thrill of a greater hand guiding things, which gave her a renewed hope. Elrond took the scribbled poem from her hand and glanced over it, his mind no doubt turning over which individuals the poem mentioned. Hopefully he knew who the lines referenced which Emerald could not figure out.

"You are sure?" Lord Elrond asked, though Emerald was surprised to see that the question was not directed at her. Rather, Mithrandir, too, was eyeing the list with all seriousness.

"The Valar have prophesied it," he answered.

Lord Elrond nodded slowly, "Then so shall it be. The Nine Walkers will depart tomorrow. I wish you a good night, Lady Emerald." He turned, but Mithrandir hesitated one long moment, staring hard at Emerald as though something had just finally dawned on him, as though he had just put his finger on the answer to a question that had for some time eluded him. With another nod and a similar farewell, he too was gone down the dark hallway, leaving Emerald to wonder if they really thought she would get any sleep tonight, knowing she had just herself handed over the names of nine people now charged with saving a world that might be doomed either way. She needed to talk to Beven. Could she still talk to Beven?


	25. Chapter 25

The rest of the night passed by too quickly for Emerald to pay any mind. After finding Beven and waking him, she told him about the poem and recited it, though he knew little more than she did. Frodo came looking for Emerald because he couldn't sleep and she hadn't been in her room; Sam came looking for Frodo. Alagedh was awoken by the opening and closing repeatedly of Emerald's door and searched with slight panic until finding her in the library with a growing crowd. Others were awaken by the noise and wandered, and while Emerald and Beven would say nothing before Elrond and Mithrandir figured things out, it was obvious great, if terrible, things were about to happen. The entire House was up before the sun, awake to see the first rays of light crawl over the untouched snow.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hergest asked, his hands gripping the cold railing of the balcony as the sun rose. Emerald smiled to see Hergest more relaxed and at peace than he had been in ages. Usually borderline neurotic, he looked serene with the grey light slowly warming his face. Beside him, Tegryn scoffed at his admiration, but it was a half-hearted scoff. The grey morning seemed to sum up everything that was daunting and heartless at the moment, and the knowledge that the nine would soon be revealed hung over everyone as the executioner's knife. Each hoped for the glory of being one of the nine; each hoped for the luxury of staying home.

The sun finished rising and the smell of food began weaving its way through the twisting halls of Imladris, but Emerald and her party didn't move. The hobbits stayed staring at the sunset between the bars as Alagedh, Hergest, Tegryn, Beven, and Emerald stared over their heads. There was something transfixing about the sunrise this morning.

"Emerald?"

"Hm?"

"What's that song you used to sing," Hergest encouraged. "You know, the one about the white dove . . ."

"_Don't you know that I have seen a long and winding road ahead of you?  
It's stretching on as far as the eye can see.  
But though the dark of the night has the heat of the day on its tail,  
For now the snow is pure and the sun is holding you.  
Come with me, follow me, take my hand, hold tight  
Alone we are nothing but together we're all  
That is right, that is good, that is pure and warm  
So come with me and we will follow the white dove home."_

"It's beautiful," Sam sighed, tearing his eyes away from the sunset to glance admiringly up at Emerald.

Frodo frowned, "It's sad."

"I like it," Pippin assured Emerald, reaching up to pat Emerald's hand. "You have a lovely voice."

Emerald smiled and began to thank him, but the entrance of others to the balcony made the entire group turn, the hobbits pushing their way between the elves in order to see. Lord Elrond had stepped out into the morning light, his hands clasped beneath his robes and his eyes clearer and sharper than usual. He liked having things figured out. Mithrandir stood beside him, as did Lord Aragorn, Lord Boromir, Glorfindel, Gildas, Legolas, Elrond's sons, Gloin and his son Gimli. It was quite a collection, and Emerald felt her heart pick up its pace at the serious expressions everyone bore. There was no doubt in anyone's mind as to the severity and importance of such a quest, nor to the heavy burden those Nine Walkers would bear.

"Frodo," Lord Elrond began, making firm eye contact with the hobbit. Frodo had never felt so small in his life as he did now, surrounded by so many large creatures and large problems. Sensing his fear, Emerald reached a hand subtly forward and rested it against his back; she felt him lean back against it ever so slightly.

Lord Elrond repeated, this time adding, "Frodo, it is time that the Ring should begin its journey to the fires of Orodruin, where it was made and shall now be unmade. Do you still hold to your word to bear this ring, Frodo?"

Frodo felt the breath catch in his throat and his cheeks flushed, but still he managed to choke out, "Yes," and nod as bravely as he possibly could. Emerald felt her heart melt and wished with everything in it this was not Frodo's role. He deserved to live out the rest of his days peacefully in the Shire home he had painted so vividly for her.

"Then there is nothing I can do to dissuade you," Lord Elrond nodded. "I can only offer you my services so long as they will carry. I will send messengers to those I know along the way whom may be of service, but the servants of the enemy are many and it is possible you will have only you and your companions to rely on, and at times not even they. But for this, I will appoint to you eight companions to accompany and serve you so far as fate and fortune will allow them."

Sam suddenly stepped closer to Frodo's side and insisted, "You said I could go with 'im!" The outburst lightened the mood the slightest bit, and Emerald thought she saw even the faintest of smiles on Lord Elrond's face.

"Yes, Sam, you are among those chosen. Perhaps the Valar knew to mess with such loyalties would be a travesty. As for the other seven, Gandalf shall go, for such is the result of a lifetime of his works, and he knows much that will help you along the way." Emerald could feel Frodo's shoulder sag a little with relief as Mithrandir stepped to the side and nodded to Frodo.

Elrond continued, "Lord Aragorn will go, for to him the Ring of Isildur is of great concern."

"Strider, you're going!" Frodo outright smiled at that. "I had hoped you would."

Aragorn nodded, "Yes, Frodo, I offer my services to you again."

"I thought you were going to the White City, though, with Boromir."

"That I am, but our paths are intertwined for many hundreds of miles, and so he too will accompany us so far as our paths are met. He is a valiant man," Aragorn answered, nodding as Boromir and he both sidestepped the dwarves to join Mithrandir.

"Still the free peoples of the earth must be represented–"

"You mean to appease the elves and dwarves," Tegryn muttered under his breath, and Emerald had to bite her lip to not laugh. It was very true, what he said.

Lord Elrond didn't notice the snide remark and continued, "And so for that, I send Legolas of Mirkwood for the elves and Gimli son of Gloin for the dwarves." Gimli gave a wide grin as he stumbled to join the Walkers, but Legolas remained serenely composed, serious in his charge. Emerald's face fell at his name and her frown deepened when he didn't even bother looking at her. Was he still angry at her for their dispute? Or perhaps simply unhappy about being chosen for this quest. Emerald worried for him, though, in a way she didn't feel was necessary for Aragorn or Mithrandir. For whatever reason, they were strong in her mind. Brave, bold, battle-hardened. They knew what they were doing. Legolas and Frodo and Sam . . . what right had the Valar to wrap them up in all this? Or was this all Eru's doing?

Emerald caught Gildas' eye and saw his glare –not at her, but in that he had not been chosen to go along. Gildas was all about glory and proving himself and fighting and would no doubt have loved nothing more than to be right in the thick of things. Well he could very well still get his chance.

That still left two, though Emerald knew who both were. When Merry pointed out, "Hey, that's still enough room for me and Pip!" Emerald felt like at any moment her heart would shatter into a dozen tiny pieces. This wasn't fair at all! Saving Middle Earth should be left to the adults who had watched it get this way –to the Lord Elronds and Mithrandirs and King Orwigs of Middle Earth. Wars weren't for the young like she and the hobbits and Legolas! Let those who wanted to fight and those who didn't . . .

But wasn't that precisely what was happening? Elves were fleeing to the Grey Havens, and in doing so very likely sacrificing all their fellow Middle Earth neighbors to death or worse.

Lord Elrond motioned to the new third group on the wide balcony, to these Nine selected by who knew and condemned by Emerald opening her big mouth. She could have kept quiet and just let those who wanted to go volunteer. Gildas would have gone, and Lord Aragorn, and Mithrandir. Maybe she would have gone, too, if it meant Frodo didn't have to– but no. She was a coward. She would never have taken the ring. She was too scared to even own up to being the one who condemned these Nine to their fates.

As Elrond opened his mouth to introduce the Nine Walkers, to quote Emerald almost exactly, she turned and fled from the balcony, not even making it to her bedroom before the tears bled down her face. She kicked the door shut and threw herself on the bed, squeezing her eyes shut until they hurt, and cried into her pillow until her throat was raw and her lungs were aching for a steady breath. Who was she crying for? For herself, for the hobbits, for Gildas and Legolas, for Middle Earth, for her mother and father, for Arwen and Aragorn, for the elves leaving Middle Earth, for the knowledge that the world would never be the same again, no matter what happened. For the knowledge that fighting might be pointless should Eru decide to destroy them all the same.

There was no way to know how long she lay there. Even long after her tears had quieted, she remained stretched out on her bed, her eyes gazing out the window at the sun's reflection on the snow, at the black tree branches groaning under the weight of the frost.

A knock came at the door, and a moment later Hergest slipped in, not waiting for an answer. Wordlessly, he lay down on the bed behind her.

Several minutes later, he finally spoke, asking, "Remember when we would do this when we were young? Tegryn would make you mad and you would stomp off and then I would have to run back and forth between you two so that neither of you would think I was picking sides and get mad at _me_."

Emerald sighed and rolled onto her back to see him better as she nodded, "Yes, I remember. It's still like that." She looked sideways at him, studying his profile against the backdrop of the dark wood wall. At times the urge to tell Tegryn, Hergest, and Alagedh was unbearable, to just tell them everything and let them handle things as they saw fit. "So trivial in the grand scheme of things, isn't it?"

"Maybe," he shrugged. "Or maybe it's my job, you know? I'm still just your dumb monkey. I don't mind, though, being your dumb monkey."

"You aren't my dumb monkey, Hergest."

"I really don't mind. And you don't have to tell me anything, but I just want to know one question. You don't have to if you don't want to but–"

"What's your question?"

"You aren't going to follow them, are you? The Walkers?"

Emerald gave him a small smile, "Why does everyone keep thinking that?"

"It's a very Emerald thing to do . . ."

"Maybe it is," she laughed. With a gentle smile, she assured him, "No, I'm not going with them."

"Okay, good. Because I was going to say, I mean, I wouldn't stop you. I just, I would want to go with you, you know?"

"You wouldn't want to go with, Hergest!" Emerald laughed, sitting up now. "You don't want anything to do with the war. You're a lover, not a fighter," she teased, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

He grinned, "Yes, but you're my baby sister. I'd fight for you." Emerald looked down into his face and felt new worries bubble up inside chest. She didn't want Hergest fighting for her, nor Tegryn or Beven, or even Alagedh. She wanted all her loved ones to be locked up in a safe little cell until things were over. And perhaps that was why she was so upset, because she was watching her new loved ones walk right into danger's den.

"Have they left yet?"

"Not yet. Soon, though."

"I should go say good-bye."

Hergest nodded, "They would appreciate that, I think. The hobbits and that Legolas fellow were all asking about you. I think you scared them something awful."

The hobbits were easily found, congregated on the balcony with Mithrandir and Bilbo, obviously doing their best to remain calm. Pippin and Merry seemed fine, but Frodo looked as pale as could be, and Sam was taking on some of his worries. They smiled to see Emerald, though, and even managed to laugh when she forced herself to be cheerful and upbeat, telling some jokes to lift their spirits. They didn't ask about her running off and she didn't mention it.

Slowly the rest of the Walkers arrived, first Lord Aragorn and then Lord Boromir. Still the dwarf and the elf were missing, and it suddenly occurred to her that perhaps she had something for Frodo that could give him some enduring encouragement that he would need for the journey ahead.

"Oh, Frodo, I have something for you!" she gasped, jumping up. "I'll run get it. Don't leave before I return!" she called over her shoulder, already off towards her room. There she yanked it up from the table and raced back down the hallways. Just as she rounded a corner without looking first, though, she slammed right into Legolas, nearly knocking both to the ground.

"Aye, Princess, are you all right? Still in a hurry, I see?"

Emerald composed herself and, taking deep breaths to refill her lungs, nodded, "Oh, yes, yes, I'm fine. I just didn't want the Walkers leaving without me, but then . . . but then they won't leave without you, will they."

"No, I should hope not."

"Do you really hope that?"

Legolas hesitated, weighing his options before giving Emerald his sincerest look and insisted, "Yes, I hope it. This is the role that I have been allotted and I would not wish to defy my–"

"Please don't say fate. You were going to say fate, weren't you?"

He nodded and explained, "Such were the words of Lord Elrond. The Valar have chosen me to be in this fellowship and I would not defy them."

"But . . . if you don't want to go, you don't have to. We make our own fate–"

"Then I will go to make my father proud."

Emerald paused as well, unsure how to argue with that. It was a valid point for a male child, though unfathomable to her as the daughter of a king. To her, love and pride were unconditional, not earned by daring deeds of bravery and stupidity.

"The elves are leaving, Legolas. You will be fighting to save a world that your people are abandoning."

Legolas gave her a small smile, "Are you trying to convince me to abandon the fellowship before we have even left Imladris, Princess?"

"I'm not trying to convince you to do anything. I just . . . it's not fair that you and the hobbits are fighting this war that doesn't even concern you!"

"How does it not concern us?" he pressed gently, and she could have smiled for having made the same argument to Lord Elrond some months ago. The tables had turned, however, once the roles were reassigned. "We and our loved ones will die alongside the men and their families and the dwarves and their families if the ring is not destroyed."

Emerald shook her head, "Not if all your loved ones have fled to the Grey Havens. If there are no elves left in Middle Earth then yours is a thankless job. Which loved ones are you fighting for if everyone that's yours has left or is leaving for safety?"

"Are you going to the Grey Havens?" he returned with the same cool firmness. "Your father will take you, no doubt, and your brothers."

"Not if I can help it."

Legolas shook his head, "I wish you would go, Princess. Go to safety, and in the meantime, until you have left, there will be at least one for whom I am fighting."

"You're being completely illogical. You could just go to Grey Havens, too."

"That is not the advice you have given any other elves," Legolas pointed out. "Which means you have either lost all faith in the war or all faith in me. I don't know which I prefer, my lady."

"I–" Emerald began, but Alagedh suddenly appeared in the hallway, never far away.

"Lady Emerald," he called, walking quickly towards her. "The hobbits sent me. They are about prepared to leave, as soon as Legol– ah," he interrupted himself, stopping short as he saw Legolas beside her. "I see you have already found him." He glanced quickly between the two of them, muttering, "My apologies, I–"

Legolas nodded to both, giving Emerald the faintest of anxious smiles, "It is time, then." Emerald frowned but had no choice to silently follow them to the entrance of Imladris where the rest had collected. There were Frodo and the other hobbits, craning their necks that Emerald should be back soon because they really couldn't force the party to wait. When she knelt down to be on Frodo's eye level, the other three crouched close to see what she had.

"Here, Frodo," she offered, holding the golden rose out to him, laid across her hands the way one would a sword. "A very good friend of mine gave this to me, but I think it's best I pass it along to you, now."

"It's beautiful," he gasped, gingerly pulling it from her hands. "But I'm afraid I'll–"

"Oh, you won't break it," she assured him with a laugh. "If I couldn't break it, you won't be able to. Just . . . hold on to it. Who knows if it might come in useful in the near future. Know your friends, Frodo." He nodded seriously, then quickly tucked it into his bag and gave her a tight hug.

"Thank you, Emerald."

"No, Frodo, thank you for being the bravest of us all. May Eru guide your path," she smiled, kissing him on the forehead. Of course, if Frodo was going to get a hug and a kiss, Pippin, Merry, and Sam sure didn't want to be left out. So Emerald hugged them and kissed their foreheads, and hugged Mithrandir and Lord Aragorn despite the impropriety of it. Aragorn promised to collect stories for her for when they met again.

When she reached Legolas, she opened her mouth to begin but he interrupted, insisting, "Forgive me, lady, if I don't wish to say farewell. Only promise me you are not upset with me and tell me that we'll meet again in happier times."

"Why would I be upset with you?"

"I–"

"All is forgotten. Just . . . take care of the hobbits. They don't really know what they're getting into . . . not that any of us do." Legolas nodded, then opened his mouth, but Emerald cut him off with a smile, nodding, "And yes, we'll meet again, in much, _much_ happier times, Legolas, I'm sure of it. If you don't go do something stupid."

"The same can be said for you, Princess," he returned with a smile of his own, then turned to perform the customary Elven farewell gesture with Arwen to Emerald's left. Emerald sent Sam another smile and blew Pippin a kiss, finding it easier to be more cheerful with all the excitement of their departure. She could convince herself that everything would go as planned. No one would die. Death was impossible.

Still, when Arwen took Emerald's hand and gave it a tight to squeeze to help hide her own tears as Aragorn walked off with only one glance back, Emerald knew that just because she couldn't understand something didn't mean it didn't exist. Death was a very real threat, regardless of race, and Emerald felt selfish for how grateful she was that none of her brothers were among the Walkers. She quickly took Hergest's hand on her right and passed the squeeze along as they watched the fellowship round the corner and head up the valley.


	26. Chapter 26

Imladris felt cold and lonely. Hardly a day had passed since the setting out of the Walkers, and what choice had life in the House but to go on – yet still, Emerald found the halls disturbingly quiet, the verandas alarmingly vacant, and conversation in the dining hall insufferably dreary. So attuned to little hobbit voices had her ears become that the forced conversation around her as she picked at her plate was even worse than the silence. She waited only long enough to be polite, then quietly departed, turning away from her room and instead shuffling through the light snow for a meander through the gardens. The black limbs glowed against the moon; small drifts of snow occasionally toppled from tired branches, falling to the ground with muted thuds.

"Gildas."

He turned at her voice, though his body remained stiff, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood against the balcony. His attention had been focused somewhere out over the water and returned there as he nodded, "Emerald." He said her name as though they were mere acquaintances, as though they hardly knew each other, as though she were some pebble stuck in his boot.

She hesitated, thought to say something, then thought better of it and turned to go. The last thing she needed right now was to stand awkwardly behind her estranged brother. She had nothing to say to him. After only two steps, though, he spoke,

"Why can you not be a princess as Arwen?"

"Pardon?"

"Why can you not be like Arwen, or any other proper princess that has ever lived?" he repeated, turning once again towards her. The moon created a halo around his dark head. "Why do you have to be so . . . so _into_ everything? All Mother and Father – and _I_ – ever wanted for you was to see you happily married and settled down, safe and content. You should have married Alagedh by now and –"

"Alagedh!" Emerald interrupted, but Gildas seemed not to hear her.

"– be safely on a ship to the Havens. But instead you're putting the sons of King Orwig to shame. _You_ are the confidante of Mithrandir and Lord Elrond and _Saruman_."

Emerald had nothing to say. Perhaps Gildas was putting things together, figuring out for himself just _how_ intrinsically linked Emerald was to current events. She remained silent, staring at his strong back.

After another long pause, Gildas sighed, "I had a dream of you last night."

"Oh?"

"It was not a good dream. A nightmare, more like it. We were standing together on a cliff overlooking the sea, and you were wearing all gold with little white flowers in your hair, like you used to when you were little. There were hundreds of people behind us, watching us against the clear sky. You held out your hand for me to kiss your ring, that ring you always wear around your neck. I bowed low and then . . ."

"Then what?" she pressed when he trailed off, his pale lips tightening at the memory.

"I killed you. I drew my sword and stabbed you, right here," he explained, putting his hand on his own stomach. "Your dress turned crimson; your blood turned the sky red, and the sea, and the ground. And you just looked at me with those _eyes_ . . ."

"Which eyes? These eyes?" Emerald teased, grabbing his arm to make him look into the biggest, roundest eyes she could manage. He gave a small smile, which made her laugh. "It was only a dream, Gildas. You aren't going to kill me! I don't think so, unless--"

He suddenly scowled, "Why _not_, Emerald? Why are your dreams the only ones that matter?"

Out of surprise, she took a step back and argued with a confused shake of her head, "My dreams don't matter. I–"

"Svea used to write them down."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your dreams," he explained. With his arms crossed, he looked like a pouting child, but Emerald didn't think he would appreciate the comparison. "Remember she would always ask you what you dreamed about?"

"Because my dreams were interesting stories."

"Well she wrote them all down, in this big book. She was descended from kings herself, you know. She had royal blood. But no one knew until she went crazy. She lied to everyone just so she could be your–"

"What are you _talking_ about, Gildas?"

"Svea! Your nurse. Or have you already forgotten about her?" he hissed cruelly. What had been a gentle, ponderous conversation was quickly taking a turn for the vicious.

"You've lost your mind, Gildas. I will _never_ forget Svea; don't you dare accuse me of such a thing," she retorted. "_I'm_ not the one so blinded by glory that I'm willing to disobey my own father simply for the sake of chasing the notion of honor around Arda."

Gildas tore his eyes from the river and now glared at her, demanding cautiously, "What are you talking about, disobeying father?"

"The message you got this morning from the rider."

"What rider?"

Emerald rolled her eyes, "Don't even try to play stupid with me, Gildas. It's never worked before. The rider this morning that you intercepted before he reached Beven. I saw you. You told him not to give Beven the full message. Father doesn't just want Beven, Hergest, Tegryn, and me to come home. He wants you home, too, but you aren't going because you know if you go home, Father's going to try and make you go to the Havens, but you would rather die in battle than go home without glory.."

"You think you have me so figured out?"

"You're going to succeed, you know. You're going to get yourself killed."

Gildas gave her a dark look, then turned his eyes away, hardening his jaw as he demanded, "Did your dreams tell you that?"

"No, my common sense did."

"You? Common sense? You've been hiding a secret stash of common sense all these years?"

"Honestly, Gildas, do you hear yourself?" He didn't reply. "I _know_ you, Gildas. Ever since I got hurt, though. That's when things changed, huh? Ever since I got hurt coming here, you've been nothing but cruel to me."

"Poor little Emerald."

"Stop it, Gildas! You're acting like a child."

He snorted, "Of all people to tell me that."

"I'm walking away, Gildas," Emerald retorted, turning to do so. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I don't like it. You've snapped. You're in no state to go out and fight in any war. Before you start lecturing me on what I should and shouldn't be doing, you need to get your own mind sorted out. Go home and–"

"I'm not going home. And neither are you. Don't act like we're so different, Emerald. You're going to disobey Father, too."

"For a vastly different reason."

"What reason? That you're so important now? Just because you're Saruman's little mistress–"

"Good-_bye_, Gildas," Emerald interrupted, stomping away as the sting of fresh tears pricked at her eyes.

"Wait, Emerald!" he suddenly called, turning to face her entirely. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder, some small part of her hoping for an apology. Gildas had always been stubborn and headstrong – almost as badly as she. But this cruelty was entirely unlike him. This wasn't her brother.

"What?" she snapped, swiping at her hair as it stuck to her flushed face.

"See you on the other side."

"Other side of _what_?"

He finally smiled at her, but it was a malicious, vindictive smile as he shrugged and shook his head. Before he'd even turned his back, Emerald had raced off to find Alagedh or Tegryn or Hergest or _someone_ who could comfort her.

Gildas had disappeared before the sun rose.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Beven insisted, wrapping his arm around Emerald's shoulder. He had never been good with emotions, though he supposed he was a better comfort than Tegryn or Hergest. The former joked and teased; the latter only sank into depression as well. As for Gildas . . . he could kill Gildas. What had snapped within him that he should be so terrible to their baby, and then go running off as though he had no responsibilities in Imladris to their kingdom, to their _family_?

"Let's not talk about that anymore," Emerald replied shortly. She had cried. She had fumed. She had vented. He was gone now, probably to his death, and she was so simultaneously furious at him and terrified for him that thinking about Gildas could only lead to utter self destruction. She had to put him from her mind. "What are we going to do about Father?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I can't go home. If I go home, I'll be on the first ship out of Arda."

"Good."

"Beven."

"I know, I know. You can't leave; you've got work to do."

"But what can we say to Father that will keep him from coming here to get me himself? We can't very well tell him I'm involved in the war effort. That'll spur him on even more."

"Well . . ." Beven set his hands flat on the library table. He loved Imladris' library, but he had spent too much time in here. Frankly, he was growing restless of meetings and discussions, of reading and researching and trying to figure out symbols and clues, of pouring over books and maps. He didn't want to go home, either, but neither did he want to stay here much longer. The House had taken a sad turn with the departure of the Walkers and the fleeing now of Gildas. They had agreed, he and Emerald, to say they had known already of Gildas' going. He was on an errand for their father, urgent, secret. Tegryn and Hergest were skeptical but said nothing.

"I guess the question is whether you're still going to be here when Father comes looking for you."

"No. I can't stay here any longer. I'll be gone by tomorrow."

"To where?"

Emerald sighed and shook her head, "I don't _know_." She hadn't slept that night, first upset at Gildas, then overcome with anxiety over what to do now. The Riders were gone; that task of hers was accomplished, but she had no clear instructions on what to do next. All she had was a vague command to "make sure the Walkers succeed," but what did _that_ mean? Follow them? No, she had clearly been told she wasn't supposed to follow. Then what?

With an agreement that they could put off answering Father's letter at least one more day, Emerald took her leave, this time wandering back to her room to see if maybe the book had any instructions or news. It did not. She wished the hobbits were here to amuse her, or Mithrandir to give her cryptic advice, or even Legolas to listen to her incoherent ramblings and make a valid comment or two.

What to do, what to do, what to do. Emerald flopped onto her bed, arms stretched wide. There was the mystery about Ivorwen and Aragorn to sort out – perhaps Gondor would have some records. She could get down there and peruse their libraries. In that way, too, she would be setting up her path to cross with the Walkers' possibly; they were headed that direction, as well. Of course, she would quite literally be marching towards Mordor.

Perhaps she should make contact with Saruman again. Keep up appearances. Of course, if she went back to him, he would be wanting news, and what was safe to tell him? Anything?

Maybe going home was best after all. Gildas had given her some interesting things to ponder about Svea. She had never heard about this royal link, nor about the dream journals Svea kept; perhaps something interesting would be in them. But that really had nothing to do with current events, and could result in her being bound, gagged, and tossed onto a ship headed towards the Havens.

"All right, Eru," she sighed, staring up at the ceiling as though this were the location of the estranged One. "If you're _so_ insistent that I be wrapped up in all this nonsense, what am I supposed to do? I'm no good to anyone just sitting here, but I'm not any good if I just go wandering around Middle Earth and get myself killed, either."

She waited. She strained her ears, listening for any voice that might be whispering to her what the next step was. Nothing came. Only the rustle of the curtains, footsteps outside, gentle voices floating on the breeze, horses snorting and stamping some distance away.

Emerald sighed again, rolled onto her stomach, and began flipping through the pages of her book, looking for anything she might have missed. It was raining on the Riders and they were all getting on each other's nerves. It was raining at home and her mother missed her. It was sunny and bright here; the air was crisp and pleasant to breathe – not that the book told her that; it was her own observation. Pippin was hungry – the book _did_ tell her that. The last page marked was the page on which she had written the poem when she had remembered it, large and loopy in her hurried scrawl. She never had been a good scribe, but at least she could read and write; Beven contended this in itself was miraculous for how little she cared for studies growing up.

"You may know of coming doom, but be brave little one, blah blah blah," she read, rolling her eyes and trailing off. When she reached the final paragraph, though, she saw the change. One row had been underlined, and two letters turned bright red: Yet one more GOes, not glory seeking."

"Just _go_? Fine, but you could have put it in a less cryptic color than red," Emerald muttered, pushing herself up. At least it was an instruction, though. Finally. In only a few minutes, she had her bag packed and was just pulling it up when Tegryn and Hergest came barging through her door.

"Hey, Emmy, we're going down to the –where are _you_ going?" Hergest demanded, stopping short, his smile instantly disappearing.

"Home."

"Yeah, right," Tegryn snorted.

"You don't believe me?"

"We _know_ you."

"Fine. To be honest, I don't know where I'm going. I'm just going to go wander around the wilds of Middle Earth during a war until I figure out where it is I'm supposed to be."

There was a moment of comical silence; the curtains and horses and voices and footsteps continued. Pause.

"All right, let me go get my sword," Tegryn nodded. "I'll meet you in the stables. Hergest, go find Beven and tell him we're leaving; we'll wait for you."

Emerald laughed, "No, no, you two can't come with me."

"Why not?" Hergest asked. He looked hurt.

"Well . . . because the poem says only _one_ more goes," she offered with a casual shrug.

"We heard the poem. It doesn't say _only_."

"It . . . okay, valid point. But still."

"Still what?"

"You can't just invite yourself along on someone else's quest of fate."

Tegryn rolled his eyes, "Don't be so dramatic, Emerald. You don't even know where you're going. Maybe your fate is on hold for a while and its one of our turns. Go pick out a horse and we'll be right there."

"But . . ." But Emerald realized she didn't have a good reason to say no. At least not for now. She was only going to wander around; and though he was joking, Tegryn made a good point. Sure, she would probably be on her own eventually, but hadn't she learned to utilize the help of friends when possible? Besides, wandering around by herself would get lonely, so why not have some company, at least until she knew where she was going? "Fine. But don't keep me waiting." They were gone before she'd picked up her bag.

Lord Elrond intercepted her on the way to the stables, seeming to spring from nowhere. He saw her bag, saw her direction, and nodded.

"I heard a rumor you are leaving, Princess?"

"Yes."

His face was serious, though not upset, as he admitted, "I knew you would not stay long, nor am I foolish enough to assume you are returning to your home."

"I'm not."

"Well, Lady Emerald, I will not ask questions, for you answer to those much higher than I."

"I would have no answers to give anyways, Lord Elrond. But don't worry about me. I'll have Hergest and Tegryn to keep me safe." She laughed as she said it, and even Elrond smiled at the likelihood of either of those boys protecting her.

"Nonetheless, I pray our paths should cross again. Be careful--"

"When am I ever _not_ careful, eh?" she continued to joke. The gravity of their farewell made her anxious. Her jokes were out of place, though, so she added, "With any luck, Lord Elrond, you'll only get a few weeks rest from me before I'm back in your hair, pestering you with more questions at all hours of the day."

He smiled and assured her, "I welcome the day. May the Valar keep you, little one."

"Thank you, and may Eru bless you, Lord Elrond. Now don't tell anyone else I'm going until I'm gone; I don't think I could bear another good-bye," she insisted after pressing her hand to her heart in farewell. Her mind had already leapt to Arwen and Glorfindel and Alagedh.

Elrond promised and watched her back for some time before disappearing once again; she felt his eyes on her long after she'd finally left Imladris. But for now, she crept through the eery House, her bag tucked against her stomach lest anyone notice and suspect. A clean getaway –that's what she wanted. As she neared the stables, she could hear Hergest and Tegryn inside.

"All right, are we ready to – what? You can't _all_ come with me," she laughed, four pairs of eyes turning to her: Tegryn, Hergest, Beven, and Alagedh, each holding the reigns of a horse, bags, swords, bows and arrows ready, bodies tingling with anticipation to be off.

"And why not?"

"Why, it's only supposed to be me going!"

"Nonsense," Alagedh insisted, handing her Occamy's reigns. "The only way I would _not_ be going with you is if the Valar themselves appeared right in front of me and said, 'Alagedh, do not go!'" He motioned with his hands beside him, looked, waited, then shrugged, "And they didn't."

"You're lying. Not even the Valar could keep you from going," Tegryn laughed. He gave Hergest a playful, unnecessary shove, then mounted his own horse. "Ready, Emerald?"

"Beven?"

Beven shrugged, "I'm just needing a break from libraries. You know, fresh air. That, and I don't want to be the one to answer to Father when he comes looking for us . . ."

"What _about_ Father?"

"I sent a message saying simply that for reasons I can't explain, we are unable to either return or stay in Imladris, that we're safe, and that'll I'll send another message when I can."

"Hergest?"

He looked down at her from his own horse and bit his lip, then shrugged as casually as he could manage, "I told you, Emmy, I don't mind being your dumb monkey. I'm a damn loyal dumb monkey, though." The emphatic words sounded so silly coming from his timid lips Emerald couldn't help but laugh despite the seriousness of his pledge.

"Well, fine, if you men are going to be so stubborn about it. But only because I don't know yet what I'm supposed to be doing. As soon as I find out that I've got to go somewhere on my own, you all have to step off."

"Sure we will. Of course," Alagedh nodded, though he didn't even try to hide that he was lying. He smiled at her narrowed eyes. "Well come along, Lady. Seems you're the one holding us up."

She mounted under their watchful eyes, then led the way to the gate of the House, too amused by her little parade to feel much anxiety about her lack of direction. Suspicious eyes watched them from windows and doorways, but no one had any reason to impede them. For all anyone knew, they were headed back to Arathilien.

It was when they reached the gate that Emerald realized the time had come for decision number one already, the same first step Frodo and his companions had faced two days before. She tried to follow her gut, but her gut seemed oddly silent. So, thinking on what Tegryn had said earlier about it being someone else's turn, she cast a glance over her shoulder and asked,

"So, Hergest, left or right?"

"What?"

"Left or right?"

"I . . . this is your expedition, Emerald. I'm just following."

"Come on. Feel your gut. What's it telling you?" He looked hesitant. "Come on, we're waiting on you."

"But . . . but what if I'm wrong?"

"Well, technically you can't be wrong. Either fate is unavoidable and you can only pick the right way, or else fate is unimportant and it doesn't matter where we go anyways," she quipped.

"Then . . . south. Left."

"Left it is," Emerald nodded. And so they left Imladris.

* * *

_And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of book one. Please review and let me know what you thought! Then traipsy on over to Emerald Book II: Ivorwen (link in my author's profile) where the adventure continues!_


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